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- {{Grammar Box}}
- You can give a series of alternatives by using 要么 (yàome). The structure is pretty versatile, as you can put a wide variety of things after each 要么:
- == Used for Making a Suggestion ==
- ===Structure===
- When used all by itself, 要么 starts the sentence and is used to give a suggestion.
- <div class="jiegou">
- Reason / Situation ，要么 + Option B (+ 吧)
- </div>
- or
- <div class="jiegou">
- 要么 + Option ，Reason / Situation
- </div>
- ===Examples===
- <div class="liju">
- *老板 今天 不 在 ，<em>要么</em> 你们 明天 来 吧 。<span class="pinyin">Lǎobǎn jīntiān bù zài, <em>yàome</em> nǐmen míngtiān lái ba.</span><span class="trans">The boss isn't here today. How about if you all come back tomorrow?</span>
- *大家 都 有点 累 了，<em>要么</em> 休息 一会儿 吧 。<span class="pinyin">Dàjiā dōu yǒudiǎn lèi le, <em>yàome</em> xiūxi yīhuìr ba.</span><span class="trans">Everyone is a little tired. Why don't we rest for a while?</span>
- *这个 星期 我 比较 忙，<em>要么</em> 下 个 星期 见 ？<span class="pinyin">Zhège xīngqī wǒ bǐjiào máng, <em>yàome</em> xià gè xīngqī jiàn?</span><span class="trans">I'm pretty busy this week. How about we meet up next week?</span>
- *我 周末 还 没 安排，<em>要么</em> 你们 来 我家 玩 ？<span class="pinyin">Wǒ zhōumò hái méi ānpái, <em>yàome</em> lái wǒ jiā wán?</span><span class="trans">I don't have plans for the weekend. How about you guys come to my place and hang out?</span>
- *我 的 钱 不 够 ，<em>要么</em> 我 用 支付宝 付 吧 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ de qián bù gòu, <em>yàome</em> wǒ yòng Zhīfùbǎo fù ba.</span><span class="trans">I don't have that much money. How about I pay you by Alipay?</span>
- </div>
- == Used to Express Limited Options ==
- When used by itself, 要么 is a not-so-pushy suggestion. But when used for a pair of choices, it gives a much more hardline "either/or" feel: ''these are the two choices. Choose one.'' (It can also be used for more than two choices, but it's usually just two.) In this case, 要不 acts exactly like 要么.
- It can be used both for commands and non-commands.
- === Structure ===
- <div class="jiegou">
- 要么 + Option A ，要么 + Option B
- </div>
- ===Examples===
- <div class="liju">
- *<em>要么</em> 你 去，<em>要么</em> 他 去 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Yàome</em> nǐ qù, <em>yàome</em> tā qù.</span><span class="trans">Either you go, or he goes.</span>
- *<em>要么</em> 现在 就 买 ，<em>要么</em> 就 别 买 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Yàome</em> xiànzài jiù mǎi, <em>yàome</em> jiù bié mǎi.</span><span class="trans">Either buy it now, or don't buy it.</span>
- *<em>要么</em> 好好 听课 ，<em>要么</em> 现在 就 出去 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Yàome</em> hǎohǎo tīngkè, <em>yàome</em> xiànzài jiù chūqù.</span><span class="trans">Either listen to the lesson carefully or get out right now.</span>
- *去年 夏天 ，我 每天 <em>要么</em> 去 健身，<em>要么</em> 去 图书馆，特别 无聊 。<span class="pinyin">Qùnián xiàtiān, wǒ měi tiān <em>yàome</em> qù jiànshēn, <em>yàome</em> qù túshūguǎn, tèbié wúliáo.</span><span class="trans">Last summer I either went to the gym or the library every day. It was so boring.</span>
- *我 老公 周末 <em>要么</em> 睡觉 ，<em>要么</em> 打 游戏 ，从来 不 做 家务 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ lǎogōng zhōumò <em>yàome</em> shuìjiào, <em>yàome</em> dǎ yóuxì, cónglái bù zuò jiāwù.</span><span class="trans">My husband either sleeps or plays online games on weekends. He never does chores.</span>
- </div>
- == See also ==
- *[[Providing two options with double "huozhe"]]
- *[[Expressing the only two possibilities]]
- == Sources and further reading ==
- === Books ===
- * [[Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1]] (pp. 158) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276792/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0887276792 →buy]
- * [[New Practical Chinese Reader 4 (新实用汉语课本4)]] (pp. 165) [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]
- [[Category:B1 grammar points]]
- {{Basic Grammar|要么|B1|要么⋯⋯，要么⋯⋯|你 <em>要么</em> 今天 过来 ， <em>要么</em> 后天 过来 。|grammar point|ASG30A60}}
- {{Rel char|要}}
- {{Similar|Providing two options with double "huozhe"}}
- {{Similar|Expressing the only two possibilities}}
- {{Used for|Giving alternatives}}
- {{Structure|Sentence Patterns}}
- {{Translation|either}}
- {{Translation|or}}
- {{Subprop|Either… or}}
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