或者
or (in statements, not questions)
huòzhě
What does 或者 mean?
或者 (huòzhě) is the conjunction 'or' used in STATEMENTS — connecting alternatives where any of the options would work. 'You can take the bus or the subway' = 你可以坐公交车或者地铁. The critical rule English speakers must learn: 或者 is NOT used in questions. For 'or' in questions ('coffee or tea?'), Chinese uses 还是 (háishi) — 你要咖啡还是茶? Mixing these up is the single most common HSK 3 mistake with this word. Within statements, 或者 can connect nouns (苹果或者梨子), verbs (走路或者骑车), or whole clauses (你来或者我去).
It often appears in pairs — 或者...或者... ('either...or...') — to list two alternatives explicitly. In formal writing, the shortened 或 alone is also common.
Character breakdown
or; either; perhaps
one who; (nominalizer)
Memory hook: 或 (or) + 者 (the one) — 'or the one (that)...' — used to list alternatives in a statement.
Example sentences
你可以坐公交车或者地铁。
Nǐ kěyǐ zuò gōngjiāochē huòzhě dìtiě.
You can take the bus or the subway.
neutral
周末我想看电影或者去公园。
Zhōumò wǒ xiǎng kàn diànyǐng huòzhě qù gōngyuán.
On the weekend I want to watch a movie or go to the park.
spoken
你或者他去都可以。
Nǐ huòzhě tā qù dōu kěyǐ.
Either you or he can go.
neutral
我们明天或者后天再说吧。
Wǒmen míngtiān huòzhě hòutiān zài shuō ba.
Let's talk about it tomorrow or the day after.
spoken
Common phrases with 或者
Synonyms
或 is the short, formal/written version of 或者. Same meaning, but 或 is more common in written Chinese, formal documents, and compound conjunctions (或多或少 'more or less'). In speech, use 或者.
Don't confuse 或者 with
THE most important contrast. 还是 = 'or' in QUESTIONS (你喝咖啡还是茶? 'coffee or tea?'). 或者 = 'or' in STATEMENTS (我喝咖啡或者茶都行 'coffee or tea, either is fine'). If you can answer 'yes' to the sentence, it's a question — use 还是. If it's a declaration, use 或者.
FAQ
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Hear 或者 in real Chinese, not in a flashcard.
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