“Or”: Difference Between 或者 (huòzhě) and 还是 (háishi)

Do you know the difference between “或者” (huòzhě) and “还是” (háishi)?

 

In Brief

Read these examples first:

你想喝茶还是喝咖啡?
Nǐ xiǎng hē chá háishi hē kāfēi?
Do you want to drink tea or coffee?

我想喝茶或者咖啡。
Wǒ xiǎng hē chá huòzhě kāfēi.
I want to drink tea or coffee.

Difference between 或者 and 还是 | That's Mandarin Blog

In More Detail

Well, as we can see, both words mean “or”, BUT the specific distinction is that 还是 ( háishi) is used in questions, and 或者 (huòzhě) – in affirmative sentences. So easy to remember, right?

 

Practice

Make two sentences with these words and write them in the comments below!

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