ChineseGrammarWiki/Programmes/B1.old/Grammar-wiki-B1-21.txt

{{Grammar Box}} 

One of the ways to use 还是 (háishì) is to have it mean "you had better," similar to how in English we may say "I think you had better start on your homework."

=== Structure ===

还是 as an [[adverbs|adverb]] can express "had better" or "it would be better to."  The idea is that the speaker has given the matter some thought, and after considering it, has finally come to a decision.  The announcement of this decision will frequently include 还是, and it usually comes before a verb or a subject.

<div class="jiegou">

Subj. + 还是 + [Verb Phrase] + 吧

</div>

吧 is often placed after this structure, [[Softening speech with "ba"|as it's a suggestion]].

=== Examples ===

<div class="liju">

*<em>还是</em> 明天 去 吧 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Háishì</em> míngtiān qù ba.</span><span class="trans">We'd better go tomorrow.</span>
*<em>还是</em> 让 她 进来 吧 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Háishì</em> ràng tā jìnlái ba.</span><span class="trans">We'd better let her come in.</span>
*你 <em>还是</em> 快点 走 吧 。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>háishì</em> kuài diǎn zǒu ba.</span><span class="trans">You'd better leave now.</span>
*我们 <em>还是</em> 帮帮 他 吧 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen <em> háishì</em> bāngbang tā ba.</span><span class="trans">We'd better help him.</span>
*太 晚 了 ，<em>还是</em> 先 回家 吧 。<span class="pinyin">Tài wǎn le, <em>háishì</em> xiān huíjiā ba.</span><span class="trans">It's too late. We'd better go home now.</span>
*这里 太 脏 了，我们 <em>还是</em> 走 吧 。<span class="pinyin">Zhèlǐ tài zāng le, wǒmen <em>háishì</em> zǒu ba.</span><span class="trans">It's too dirty here; we'd better leave.</span>
*快 迟到 了 ，我们 <em>还是</em> 打车 吧 。<span class="pinyin">Kuài chídào le, wǒmen <em>háishì</em> dǎchē ba.</span><span class="trans">We're running late. Let's take a taxi.</span>

</div>

When the part after 还是 is a negative verb phrase, it's OK to drop the 吧 at the end.

<div class="liju">

*太 贵 了 ，<em>还是</em> 别 买 了 。<span class="pinyin">Tài guì le, <em>háishì</em> bié mǎi le.</span><span class="trans">It's too expensive. You'd better not buy it.</span>
*她 不 想 说 ，<em>还是</em> 不要 再 问 了 。<span class="pinyin">Tā bù xiǎng shuō, <em>háishì</em> bùyào zài wèn le.</span><span class="trans">She doesn't want to say anything. We'd better stop asking.</span>
*他 一定 不 同意 ，<em>还是</em> 别 跟 他 说 了 。<span class="pinyin">Tā yīdìng bù tóngyì, <em>háishì</em> bié gēn tā shuō le.</span><span class="trans">He will definitely disagree. We'd better not tell him.</span>

</div>

== See also ==

* [[Offering choices with haishi]]
* [["Yinggai" for should]]
* [[Expressing "how about" with "yaobu"]]

== Sources and further reading ==

=== Books ===

* [[Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition]] (pp. 144) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0415372615/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0415372615 →buy]
* [[Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed)]] (pp. 259-60)　[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276385/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0887276385 →buy]
* [[New Practical Chinese Reader 4 (新实用汉语课本4)]] (pp. 103) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/7561913192/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=7561913192 →buy]
*[[卓越汉语－公司实战篇]] (p. 211) [http://www.amazon.cn/%E5%8D%93%E8%B6%8A%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD-%E5%85%AC%E5%8F%B8%E5%AE%9E%E6%88%98%E7%AF%87-%E8%83%A1%E7%81%B5%E5%9D%87/dp/B003QZWQ6M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347863170&sr=8-1 →buy]

[[Category:B1 grammar points]]
[[Category: Adverbs]]

{{Basic Grammar|还是|B1|还是 + Verb|我们 <em>还是</em> 先 吃饭 吧。|grammar point|ASGWAR65}}
{{Rel char|还}}
{{Rel char|是}}
{{Rel char|吧}}
{{Similar|"Yinggai" for should}}
{{Similar|Comparing "haishi" and "huozhe"}}
{{Similar|Expressing "had better" with "zuihao"}}
{{Similar|Expressing "how about" with "yaobu"}}
{{POS|Adverbs}}
{{Used for| Expressing quality}}
{{Used for| Expressing obligations}}
{{Similar|"Yinggai" for should}}