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或者huò zhěor (in statements)

HSK 3word

By Chinese Copilot · Last updated

或者 (huò zhě) means “or” in statements, and can also mean “possibly”, “maybe”, or “perhaps”. It is a conjunction that links two or more alternatives without demanding an immediate pick-one choice, unlike 还是, which is used for “or” in questions.

What does 或者 mean?

  1. 1.

    or (in statements)conjunction

  2. 2.

    possibly; maybe; perhapsadverb

What do the characters in 或者 mean?

  • 或maybe; perhaps; or
  • 者not compositional here

How do you use 或者?

Grammar patterns

  1. 1

    Possibility1 + 或者 + Possibility2

    Use 或者 to link alternatives in a statement. It presents options without forcing the listener to pick one right away.

或者 is used for “or” in statements; for “or” in questions, learners usually need 还是 instead.

Patterns

  • …或者…，都可以

    星期六或者星期天，都可以。

    Xīngqīliù huòzhě Xīngqītiān, dōu kěyǐ.

    Saturday or Sunday are both OK.

  • Possibility1 + 或者 + Possibility2

    今天晚上我想吃披萨或者寿司。

    Jīntiān wǎnshang wǒ xiǎng chī pīsà huòzhě shòusī.

    Tonight I would like to eat pizza or sushi.

What are some examples of 或者 in a sentence?

  1. HSK 3

    我喝咖啡或者茶，都行。

    Wǒ hē kāfēi huòzhě chá, dōu xíng.

    I drink coffee or tea. Either is OK.

  2. HSK 3

    周末我想在家看书或者看电影。

    Zhōumò wǒ xiǎng zài jiā kànshū huòzhě kàn diànyǐng.

    This weekend, I want to stay home and read or watch movies.

  3. HSK 3

    我们可以电话或者邮件联系。

    Wǒmen kěyǐ diànhuà huòzhě yóujiàn liánxì.

    We can contact each other by phone or email.

  4. HSK 3

    你可以坐1号线或者2号线去人民广场。

    Nǐ kěyǐ zuò yīhào xiàn huòzhě èrhào xiàn qù Rénmín Guǎngchǎng.

    You can take Line 1 or Line 2 to People's Square.

How is 或者 different from 还是?

或者 links alternatives in a statement. 还是 (hái shi) links Option A or Option B in a question that expects a choice.

Only 或者 fits here

周末我想在家看书或者看电影。

Zhōumò wǒ xiǎng zài jiā kànshū huòzhě kàn diànyǐng.

This weekend, I want to stay home and read or watch movies.

How is 或者 used in a conversation?

  1. Speaker A:

    周末你想做什么？

    Zhōumò nǐ xiǎng zuò shénme?

    What do you want to do this weekend?

  2. Speaker B:

    我想在家看书或者看电影。

    Wǒ xiǎng zài jiā kànshū huòzhě kàn diànyǐng.

    I want to stay home and read or watch movies.

  3. Speaker A:

    我们怎么联系？

    Wǒmen zěnme liánxì?

    How should we contact each other?

  4. Speaker B:

    电话或者邮件都可以。

    Diànhuà huòzhě yóujiàn dōu kěyǐ.

    Phone or email both work.

Can you use 或者 correctly?

0 of 3 answered
  1. 1.Fill in the blank: 我喝咖啡___茶，都行。
  2. 2.Fill in the blank: 周末我想看书___看电影。
  3. 3.Which word fits a statement: 你可以坐飞机___坐高铁。

What should you learn next?

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English glosses on this page are adapted from CC-CEDICT, published by MDBG (snapshot 2026-10-23), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Glosses were edited for learners.