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Section0115.xhtml

Section0115.xhtml 6.7 KB
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  1. <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><!DOCTYPE html><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xmlns:epub="http://www.idpf.org/2007/ops">
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  2. <head>
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  3. <title>Comparing "haishi" and "huozhe"</title>
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  4. <link href="../Styles/main.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" />
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  5. </head>
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  6. <body>
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  7. <h1>Comparing "haishi" and "huozhe"</h1>
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  8. 

  9. <p>Both 还是 (háishì) and 或者 (huòzhě) mean "or" and are used to present a choice. However, 还是 is normally used when asking a question, and 或者 is mostly for declarative sentences.</p>
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  10. 

  11. <h2>Contents</h2>
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  12. 

  13.   
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  14. <div class="contents"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">1 还是 for Providing Choices as a Question </span></li><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">1.1 Structure </span></li><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">1.2 Examples </span></li></ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">2 或者 for Giving Options as a Statement </span></li><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">2.1 Structure </span></li><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">2.2 Examples </span></li></ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">3 还是 for Questions That Are Embedded in Sentences </span></li><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">4 Right or Wrong </span></li><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">5 See also </span></li><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">6 Sources and further reading </span></li><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">6.1 Books </span></li><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">6.2 Websites</span></li></ul></ul></div>
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  15. 

  16. <h2>还是 for Providing Choices as a Question</h2>
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  17. 

  18. <p>When asking a question, 还是 can be used to provide choices or options.</p>
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  19. 

  20. <h3>Structure</h3>
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  21. 

  22. <div class="deux">Option A + 还是 + Option B ?</div>
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  23. 

  24. <h3>Examples</h3>
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  25. 

  26. <div class="exemple"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">你 喜欢 他 还是 我 ？
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  27. Nǐ xǐhuan tā háishì wǒ?
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  28. Do you like him or me? </span></li><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">你 喝 茶 还是 喝 咖啡 ？
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  29. Nǐ hē chá háishì hē kāfēi?
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  30. Do you drink tea or coffee? </span></li><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">你 中午 出去 吃 还是 叫 外卖 ？
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  31. Nǐ zhōngwǔ chūqù chī háishì jiào wàimài?
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  32. Are you going out for lunch or order take-out?</span><br /></li></ul></div>
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  33. 

  34. <h2>或者 for Giving Options as a Statement</h2>
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  35. 

  36. <p>或者 is used in a statement in which options are presented.</p>
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  37. 

  38. <h3>Structure</h3>
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  39. 

  40. <div class="deux">Possibility 1 + 或者 + Possibility 2</div>
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  41. 

  42. <p>The structure for 或者 and 还是 is the same, but the meaning, as well as the context in which 或者 is needed, is different. 或者 drops the "A or B, PICK ONE" attitude in favor of a more open, "maybe A, perhaps B... (or maybe both or neither?)" So it's less exclusive and less demanding of a choice RIGHT NOW.
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  43. </p>
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  44. <h3>Examples</h3>
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  45. 

  46. <div class="exemple"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">周末 我 想 在 家 看书 或者 看 电影 。
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  47. Zhōumò wǒ xiǎng zài jiā kànshū huòzhě kàn diànyǐng.
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  48. This weekend, I want to stay home and read or watch movies. </span></li><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">你 可以 坐 1 号 线 或者 2 号线 去 人民 广场 。
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  49. Nǐ kěyǐ zuò yī hào xiàn huòzhě èr hào xiàn qù Rénmín Guǎngchǎng.
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  50. You can take Line 1 or Line 2 to People's Square. </span></li><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">我们 可以 电话 或者 邮件 联系 。
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  51. Wǒmen kěyǐ diànhuà huòzhě yóujiàn liánxì.
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  52. We can contact each other by phone or email.</span><br /></li></ul></div>
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  53. 

  54. <h2>还是 for Questions That Are Embedded in Sentences</h2>
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  55. 

  56. <p>Deciding whether or not to use 还是 becomes difficult with sentences that contain statements like "I don’t know," "I want to know," "I’m not sure," etc. Alone, these statements are not technically questions. However, when used in a sentence that contains choices, these statements imply that a question must be answered. Therefore, you must use 还是.</p>
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  57. 

  58. <h3>A few examples:</h3>
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  59. 

  60. <div class="exemple"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">我 不 知道 这 本 书 是 他 的 还是 我 的 。
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  61. Wǒ bù zhīdào zhè běn shū shì tā de háishì wǒ de.
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  62. I don't know if this book is his or mine. </span></li><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">我 想 知道 他们 是 支持 还是 反对 。
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  63. Wǒ xiǎng zhīdào tāmen shì zhīchí háishì fǎnduì.
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  64. I want to know if they support or oppose. </span></li><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">老板 不 确定 是 这 个 周末 出差 还是 下 个 周末 出差 。
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  65. Lǎobǎn bù quèdìng shì zhège zhōumò chūchāi háishì xià gè zhōumò chūchāi.
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  66. The boss isn't sure if he's going on a business trip this weekend or next weekend.</span><br /></li></ul></div>
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  67. 

  68. <h2>Right or Wrong
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  69. </h2>
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  70. <div class="exemple"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">我们 打车 或者 坐 地铁 ？Since it is a question, it should use 还是
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  71. Wǒmen dǎchē huòzhě zuò dìtiě?
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  72. Shall we take a taxi or take the metro? </span></li><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">明天 还是 后天 都 行 。Since it is a statement, it should use 或者
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  73. Míngtiān huòzhě hòutiān dōu xíng.
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  74. Either tomorrow or the day after is fine. </span></li><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">我 想 知道 那 个 人 是 男的 或者 女的 。It's an embedded question, so it should use 还是
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  75. Wǒ xiǎng zhīdào nà ge rén shì nánde huòzhě nǚde.
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  76. I'd like to know if that person is male or female.</span><br /></li></ul></div>
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  77. 

  78. <h3>See also</h3>
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  79. 

  80. <div class="See-also"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">"Or" in statements </span></li><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Offering choices with "haishi"</span><br /></li></ul></div>
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  81. 

  82. <h3>Sources and further reading</h3>
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  83. 

  84. <h4>Books</h4>
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  85. 

  86. <div class="See-also"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (pp. 74-5) →buy </span></li><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 257-8) →buy </span></li><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 144) →buy </span></li><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 259-60) →buy 　 </span></li><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">New Practical Chinese Reader 4 (新实用汉语课本4) (pp. 103) →buy </span></li><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 76-7, 257-8) →buy 　 </span></li><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1) (pp. 179) →buy </span></li><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1)(2nd ed) (pp. 206-7, 251) →buy </span></li><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">现代汉语八百词（增订本） (pp. 238) [ →buy]</span><br /></li></ul></div>
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  87. <h4>Websites</h4>
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  88. 

  89. <div class="See-also"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Yale Chinese Usage Dictionary: Comparing 还是 and 或者</span><br /></li></ul></div>
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  90. </body>
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  91. </html>
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