B1 Intermediate Conjunctions & Connectors

How to Say “Either… Or…” in Chinese (要么……要么)

要么…要么… lays down two choices with a hardline “either/or” feel: these are the options, pick one. 要么 + Option A，要么 + Option B (要么你去，要么他去, “either you go, or he goes”). Unlike the easygoing 或者 (“either is fine”), 要么 forces a choice and often carries an ultimatum edge, and it states options rather than asking, so it isn’t the question word 还是. Both 要么 are required, and it can stretch to three or more.

Why this trips learners up

Chinese has more than one “or,” and 要么 is the forceful one. That’s the key to how to say “either… or…” in Chinese when you mean a real choice: 要么 + Option A，要么 + Option B. 要么你去，要么他去 (“either you go, or he goes”); 要么继续，要么放弃 (“either keep going, or give up”). The feel is hardline, these are the two options, so choose one.

要么 is not the relaxed 或者. 或者 is the easygoing “or” that usually means “either is fine” (茶或者咖啡都行, “tea or coffee, either works”). 要么 pushes the other way: it insists you pick, and it often comes with a “no third option” tag, 要么接受，要么拒绝，你不能一直不回答 (“either accept or refuse, you can’t keep not answering”). A common ultimatum shape is 要么好好学，要么就别学了 (“either study properly, or don’t study at all”).

It states, it doesn’t ask. To ASK “A or B?” Chinese uses 还是 (你喝茶还是咖啡？). 要么…要么… lays the options down as a statement or a demand, never as the question. Using 要么 to ask is the classic slip.

Both halves, and beyond two. 要么 has to sit in front of each option; you can’t state one 要么 and juxtapose the rest. The choices can be verbs, clauses or whole plans, and although it’s usually two, 要么 stacks happily to three or more: 晚上要么看电影，要么打球，要么在家休息.

The structure

要么 yàome Other 要么 yàome Other

Colour key

Each colour marks one grammatical role — and the same colour means the same role on every page in the Lab.

Pattern Subject Verb Object Time Place Negation Adverb Function word Adjective Other

Examples in context

Real-world sentences, easiest first. Toggle pinyin or the translation, tap any word to see its role, or play the audio.

Tap a word to see its grammatical role.

yàome 要么 Pattern nǐ 你 Subject dǎ 打 Verb diànhuà 电话 Object yàome 要么 Pattern wǒ 我 Subject fā 发 Verb xiāoxi 消息 Object

Either you call, or I’ll message. (Basic 要么…要么…, two clauses with different subjects.)

zhōngwǔ 中午 Time yàome 要么 Pattern chī 吃 Verb miàn 面 Object yàome 要么 Pattern chī 吃 Verb fàn 饭 Object

For lunch, either noodles or rice. (Two simple options.)

nǐ 你 Subject yàome 要么 Pattern xiànzài 现在 Time zǒu 走 Verb yàome 要么 Pattern míngtiān 明天 Time zài 再 Adverb lái 来 Verb

You either leave now, or come back tomorrow. (Subject 你 before the first 要么.)

yàome 要么 Pattern hǎohāo 好好 Adverb xué 学 Verb yàome 要么 Pattern jiù 就 Adverb bié 别 Negation xué 学 Verb le 了 Function word

Either study properly, or don’t study at all. (The “or don’t bother” ultimatum: 要么就别…了.)

yàome 要么 Pattern jiēshòu 接受 Verb yàome 要么 Pattern jùjué 拒绝 Verb nǐ 你 Subject bù 不 Negation néng 能 Function word yìzhí 一直 Adverb bù 不 Negation huídá 回答 Verb

Either accept or refuse, you can’t just keep not answering. (The exclusive “no third option” edge.)

wǎnshang 晚上 Time yàome 要么 Pattern kàn 看 Verb diànyǐng 电影 Object yàome 要么 Pattern dǎqiú 打球 Verb yàome 要么 Pattern zàijiā 在家 Place xiūxi 休息 Verb

In the evening, either watch a movie, play ball, or rest at home. (Three options, 要么 stacked past two.)

nà duàn shíjiān 那段时间 Time tā 他 Subject měitiān 每天 Time yàome 要么 Pattern jiābān 加班 Verb yàome 要么 Pattern chūchāi 出差 Verb hěn shǎo 很少 Adverb zài 在 Verb jiā 家 Place

During that stretch he was either working overtime or away on business every day, rarely home. (A recurring habit in the past.)

yàome 要么 Pattern nǐ 你 Subject gǎibiàn 改变 Verb tàidù 态度 Object yàome 要么 Pattern wǒmen 我们 Subject jiù 就 Adverb fēnkāi 分开 Verb méiyǒu 没有 Verb bié de 别的 Adjective bànfǎ 办法 Object

Either you change your attitude, or we break up, there’s no other way. (A full ultimatum.)

Common mistakes

Avoid: 你要么喝茶，要么喝咖啡，都行。 nǐ yàome hē chá, yàome hē kāfēi, dōu xíng.

Say this: 你喝茶或者咖啡都行。 nǐ hē chá huòzhě kāfēi dōu xíng.

Why it happens: 要么 FORCES a pick, so it clashes with 都行 (“either is fine”). If you mean either option works with no pressure to choose, use 或者: 你喝茶或者咖啡都行, not 要么…要么…都行.

Avoid: 要么你去他去。 yàome nǐ qù tā qù.

Say this: 要么你去，要么他去。 yàome nǐ qù, yàome tā qù.

Why it happens: The frame repeats 要么 in front of EACH option. You can’t mark one and leave the other bare: it’s 要么你去，要么他去, never 要么你去他去.

Avoid: 你要么去北京，要么去上海？ nǐ yàome qù Běijīng, yàome qù Shànghǎi?

Say this: 你去北京还是去上海？ nǐ qù Běijīng háishì qù Shànghǎi?

Why it happens: 要么…要么… states two options (or issues an ultimatum), it doesn’t ask. To ASK “A or B?” use 还是: 你去北京还是去上海？, not 你要么去北京，要么去上海？ said as a question.

Compare & contrast

要么…要么… = a forced choice (“pick one”)	或者 = a relaxed “or” (“either is fine”)	The difference
你要么留下，要么走。nǐ yàome liúxià, yàome zǒu.	你留下或者走都行。nǐ liúxià huòzhě zǒu dōu xíng.	你要么留下，要么走 puts you on the spot, pick one (“either stay or leave”). 你留下或者走都行 lifts the pressure (“staying or leaving, either is fine”). Same two options, opposite feel.
要么今天做，要么明天做。yàome jīntiān zuò, yàome míngtiān zuò.	今天或者明天做都可以。jīntiān huòzhě míngtiān zuò dōu kěyǐ.	要么今天做，要么明天做 forces the day (“either today or tomorrow, decide”). 今天或者明天做都可以 leaves it open (“today or tomorrow, either works”). 要么 pushes; 或者 relaxes.

Rule of thumb要么…要么… draws a hard line: two options and you must take one, often with a “no third choice” edge or an ultimatum. 或者 is the easygoing “or” that usually says either is fine (…都行). Force a pick → 要么…要么…; leave it open → 或者. And to ASK which, it’s 还是.

Try it yourself

Say “Either take a taxi, or take the subway.” Use 要么…要么…: 要么打车，要么坐地铁。

Related patterns

Quick reference card

How to Say “Either… Or…” in Chinese (要么……要么) grammar.merrymandarin.com

A pocket summary — print it and keep it by your desk.

Structure

要么 + Other + 要么 + Other

Example

要么你打电话要么我发消息

Either you call, or I’ll message. (Basic 要么…要么…, two clauses with different subjects.)

Watch out

✗ 你要么喝茶，要么喝咖啡，都行。 → ✓ 你喝茶或者咖啡都行。