HSK 2 grammar · conjunction
还是/或者
还是 vs 或者 — or
Pattern
+ +
+ +
( ) can be left out · other words may come before, between and after
How it works
Both mean "or", but 还是 offers a choice inside a question, while 或者 states an option in a statement. Swapping them sounds wrong.
Examples
你喝茶还是咖啡？
Nǐ hē chá háishi kāfēi?
Do you want tea or coffee?
我们明天或者后天去。
Wǒmen míngtiān huòzhě hòutiān qù.
We'll go tomorrow or the day after.
Related
See it in a story
In the app, 还是/或者 is underlined wherever it appears in the stories you read, and practised with sentences from them. Free.