HSK 6 grammar · pattern
或A或B
或A或B — whether A or B (compact)
Pattern
+ + +
A and B are single syllables
( ) can be left out · other words may come before, between and after
How it works
或A或B is a compact four-character frame that inserts two contrasting single-syllable words to mean "whether A or B", covering a range — 或多或少 (more or less), 或轻或重. It is more literary than 或者…或者.
Examples
每个人或多或少都有缺点。
Měi ge rén huò duō huò shǎo dōu yǒu quēdiǎn.
Everyone has shortcomings, more or less.
大家或站或坐，随意休息。
Dàjiā huò zhàn huò zuò, suíyì xiūxi.
People stood or sat, resting as they pleased.
这些问题或大或小，都需要解决。
Zhèxiē wèntí huò dà huò xiǎo, dōu xūyào jiějué.
These problems, big or small, all need solving.
Related
See it in a story
In the app, 或A或B is underlined wherever it appears in the stories you read, and practised with sentences from them. Free.