How to Say “Or” in a Question with 还是 (háishì)
还是 (háishì) is “or” — but only when you're offering a choice in a question (茶还是咖啡?). For “or” in a statement, Chinese uses a different word, 或者.
Why this trips learners up
English uses one word, “or”, for everything — “Tea or coffee?” (a question) and “I'll have tea or coffee” (a statement). So when you learn that “or” in Chinese can be 还是 (háishì), it's tempting to reach for it every time.
But 还是 has exactly one job: offering a choice in a question. 茶还是咖啡？= “Tea or coffee?”. In fact 还是 turns the sentence into a question all by itself — you don't even add 吗. The moment you're making a statement (“either is fine”), Chinese switches to a different “or”, 或者. So ask yourself first: am I offering a choice, or just stating one?
The structure
Colour key
Each colour marks one grammatical role — and the same colour means the same role on every page in the Lab.
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.
hóng de 红的 Object háishì 还是 Pattern lán de 蓝的 Object
The red one or the blue one?
jīntiān 今天 Time háishì 还是 Pattern míngtiān 明天 Time
Today or tomorrow?
nǐ 你 Subject yào 要 Verb guǒzhī 果汁 Object háishì 还是 Pattern kělè 可乐 Object
Do you want juice or cola?
nà 那 Subject shì 是 Verb māo 猫 Object háishì 还是 Pattern gǒu 狗 Object
Is that a cat or a dog?
zhōumò 周末 Time nǐ 你 Subject xiǎng 想 Function word xiūxi 休息 Verb háishì 还是 Pattern chūqù wán 出去玩 Verb
Do you want to rest this weekend, or go out?
nǐ 你 Subject xiǎng 想 Function word xiànzài 现在 Time zǒu 走 Verb háishì 还是 Pattern děng yíxià 等一下 Verb
Do you want to leave now, or wait a bit?
Common mistakes
Why it happens: This is the heart of it: 还是 is for questions only. “Tea or coffee, either's fine” is a statement, so it needs the statement-“or”, 或者: 茶或者咖啡都行. Use 还是 here and it sounds like you're still asking.
Why it happens: 还是 already makes the sentence a question — it carries the “?” by itself. Adding 吗 on top double-marks it. It's 你要茶还是咖啡？, never …还是咖啡吗？
Why it happens: 和 means “and” (joining), not “or” (choosing). To offer a choice in a question you need 还是: 你想喝茶还是咖啡？ — with 和 you'd be asking about having both at once.
Compare & contrast
| 还是 — “or” in questions | 或者 — “or” in statements | The difference |
|---|---|---|
| 你喝茶还是咖啡？nǐ hē chá háishì kāfēi? | 茶或者咖啡都行。chá huòzhě kāfēi dōu xíng. | A question asking you to pick uses 还是. A statement that either option works uses 或者 (often with 都行). |
| 我们走还是坐车？wǒmen zǒu háishì zuòchē? | 我们或者走，或者坐车。wǒmen huòzhě zǒu, huòzhě zuòchē. | Offering a choice → 还是. Listing possibilities you're fine with → 或者…或者. |
Try it yourself
Ask “Do you want to watch a movie or go shopping?” — tap the words into order.
Related patterns
Quick reference card
How to Say “Or” in a Question with 还是 (háishì) grammar.merrymandarin.com A pocket summary — print it and keep it by your desk.