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Outline

你要茶还是咖啡?
Nǐ yào chá hái shì kāfēi?
我要茶或者咖啡。
Wǒ yào chá huò zhě kā fēi.

Dialogue

1)A:妈妈咖啡
Māma,yàocháháishìkā fēi??

Mum, do you want tea or coffee?

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B:
yàochá.

I want tea.

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2)A:杂志杂志?
yàozhèběnzá zhìháishìběnzá zhì?

Do you want this magazine or that magazine?

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B:杂志。
yàozhèběnzá zhì.

I want this magazine.

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3)A:什么?
yàoshén me?

What do you want to drink?

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B:牛奶咖啡。
Niú nǎihuòzhěkā fēi.

Milk or coffee.

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Grammar

˙Expressing "or" in Chinese

There are two words for "or" in Chinese, one is 还是,and the other is 或者. Which one to use depends on whether the sentence is a question or a statement.

1) Using "or" in a question

Structure: A or B
A 还是(hái shì) B

Examples:

咖啡?
cháháishìkā fēi?
Lit.You drink tea or coffee?
奶茶可乐?
yàonǎi cháháishìkě lè?
Lit.You want milk tea or coke?

2) Using "or" in a statement

Structure: A or B
A 或者(huò zhě) B

果汁。
shuǐhuòzhěguǒ zhī.
Lit.I drink water or juice.
去。
huòzhěqù.
Lit.I go or you go.