HSK 6 grammar · new HSK syllabus
要么…要么…: either… or…
要么 A 要么 B presents two options, and you must take one: 要么现在走，要么明天走.
Structure
- 要么 + A，要么 + B
How it works
要么…要么… offers two alternatives, often with the sense that there is no third choice: 要么你来，要么我去.
It is common in spoken Chinese and in persuasive writing.
Examples
-
要么现在就出发，要么明天早上再走。
Either we leave now or we go tomorrow morning.
-
周末他要么在家看书，要么去爬山。
At weekends he either reads at home or goes hiking.
-
要么你去，要么我去，总得有人去。
Either you go or I go; someone has to.
-
这件事要么不做，要么就做好。
Either don’t do it at all, or do it properly.
-
要么接受这个条件，要么放弃合作。
Either accept the terms or give up the partnership.
Words in these examples (34)
| 要么 | yàome | or; either one or the other | HSK 6 |
| 现在 | xiànzài | now | HSK 1 |
| 就 | jiù | then; just; right away; only | HSK 2 |
| 出发 | chūfā | to set off | HSK 3 |
| 明天 | míngtiān | tomorrow | HSK 1 |
| 早上 | zǎoshang | morning | HSK 1 |
| 再 | zài | again | HSK 1 |
| 走 | zǒu | to walk; to leave | HSK 2 |
| 周末 | zhōumò | weekend | HSK 3 |
| 他 | tā | he; him | HSK 1 |
| 在 | zài | to be at; at; in; (before a verb) in the middle of doing | HSK 1 |
| 家 | jiā | home; family; (measure word for shops and companies) | HSK 1 |
| 看 | kàn | to look; to watch; to read | HSK 1 |
| 书 | shū | book | HSK 1 |
| 去 | qù | to go | HSK 1 |
| 爬 | pá | to climb; to crawl | HSK 3 |
| 山 | shān | mountain; hill | HSK 3 |
| 你 | nǐ | you | HSK 1 |
| 我 | wǒ | I; me | HSK 1 |
| 总 | zǒng | always | HSK 3 |
| 得 | de | (particle after a verb before a description of how it is done, as in 说得很好) | HSK 2 |
| 有 | yǒu | to have; there is | HSK 1 |
| 人 | rén | person; people | HSK 1 |
| 这 | zhè | this | HSK 1 |
| 件 | jiàn | (measure word for clothes, matters, items) | HSK 1 |
| 事 | shì | matter; thing (to do) | HSK 1 |
| 不 | bù | not; no | HSK 1 |
| 做 | zuò | to do; to make | HSK 1 |
| 好 | hǎo | good; well | HSK 1 |
| 接受 | jiēshòu | to accept | HSK 4 |
| 这个 | zhège | this one | HSK 1 |
| 条件 | tiáojiàn | condition | HSK 4 |
| 放弃 | fàngqì | to give up | HSK 4 |
| 合作 | hézuò | to cooperate; to collaborate; to work together | HSK 5 |
Common mistakes
-
✗要么你去，或者我去。
✓要么你去，要么我去。
Repeat 要么 in both halves.
-
✗你要么去吗？
✓你去不去？
要么…要么… is a statement of options, not a question.
Check yourself
Choose the word that fills the gap.
1. 坐飞机，要么坐高铁，都可以。
2. 要么你同意， 你提出更好的办法。
3. 这种事，要么不说，要么就说 。