---
title: "A 还是 B? (choice question) in Chinese Grammar: … or …? (choose one), With Examples"
description: "A 还是 B? (choice question): … or …? (choose one). A 还是 B? asks which of two; no 吗 is needed. 4 real lines from stories, each word explained."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-grammar/haishi-or"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

[Chinese grammar](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-grammar)

# A 还是 B? (choice question)

… or …? (choose one)

A 还是 B? asks which of two; no 吗 is needed.

## In stories

一个女孩儿笑着问：“热**的还是冰的**？”

[四杯咖啡 · How to order coffee in Chinese (and get four)](https://mandarinthewild.com/library/read/how-to-order-coffee-in-chinese#library-word-76-81) HSK 2

是**西瓜还是面条**？”

[奶奶的字 · Grandma's shopping list: a trip to the Chinese supermarket](https://mandarinthewild.com/library/read/shopping-in-a-chinese-supermarket-story#library-word-297-303) HSK 3

所以，端午节那天，如果有中国朋友送你粽子，你可以先问一句：“甜**的还是咸的**？”

[端午节：龙舟和粽子 · What is the Dragon Boat Festival?](https://mandarinthewild.com/library/read/what-is-the-dragon-boat-festival#library-word-408-413) HSK 3

冰的、常温**的还是热的**？”

[怎么点奶茶 · How to order bubble tea in Chinese](https://mandarinthewild.com/library/read/how-to-order-bubble-tea-in-chinese#library-word-103-108) HSK 4

[Read 四杯咖啡](https://mandarinthewild.com/library/read/how-to-order-coffee-in-chinese#library-word-76-81)

## More patterns

- [是…的 (emphasis) it was … that (stresses when, where, how or who)](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-grammar/shi-de)
- [A 比 B 更/还 + adjective even more … than …](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-grammar/bi-geng)
- [于是 so; and so; thereupon](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-grammar/yushi)
- [如果/要是…就… if …, then …](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-grammar/ruguo-jiu)
- [不是…吗 (rhetorical) isn’t it (the case) that …? — often rhetorical (surprise or objection)](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-grammar/bushi-ma)
- [不是…而是… not … but …](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-grammar/bushi-ershi)

## What does A 还是 B? (choice question) mean in Chinese?

… or …? (choose one). A 还是 B? asks which of two; no 吗 is needed.

## How common is A 还是 B? (choice question)?

It comes up in 4 readings of the 392 stories and articles in our free Library.

## Does it correct my mistakes?

No. It shows which patterns a text uses and what each one does; it doesn’t mark errors. Paste a sentence you wrote to see whether it uses the pattern you meant.

## More free tools

- [Chinese dictionary](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-dictionary)
- [Measure words](https://mandarinthewild.com/measure-words)
- [How hard is this text?](https://mandarinthewild.com/text-level)
- [Free Chinese stories](https://mandarinthewild.com/library)

Patterns found by our own parser; lines from our free Library.