第四十一天

[nnozomi]

还是, "or" in questions"
https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Offering_choices_with_%22haishi%22

还是 also has a bunch of different usages, doesn't everything, but this one is just "X or Y" as used in questions. (I think.)

Guardian:
普通的什么呀？普通的绝世高手，还是普通的地星领袖啊？(Zhao Yunlan getting on Shen Wei's case for his reflexive "I'm just an ordinary..." "An ordinary what? An ordinary superstar, or an ordinary leader of Dixing?")
说吧，你是为了钱还是为了名？(Let's hear it, are you out for money or for fame?)
那请问你是中医还是西医吗？ (May I ask, do you practice Chinese or Western medicine?)

My practice:
你更喜欢红色的还是白色的？
你要喝热茶还是冷茶？现在是冬天吧，我当然喝热茶。
真的吴邪到底是谁啊？你还是他？

Comments

[laireshi]

还是 also has a bunch of different usages, doesn't everything, but this one is just "X or Y" as used in questions. (I think.)
I only know this one so far, and now I'm very D: about Yet Another Thing With Too Many Usages.

[nnozomi]

Yet Another Thing With Too Many Usages.
I KNOW. a) every phrase/word has multiple possible meanings, b) there are multiple possible ways to express every meaning. Are there any languages where the rate of vocabulary/phrase to meaning is exactly one to one? Because I want to learn one. (I mean, Chinese is making me tear my hair but it's fun! But still.)

[laireshi]

Are there any languages where the rate of vocabulary/phrase to meaning is exactly one to one?
Probably not, but also, probably there aren't any languages that have a bigger meaning:phrase ratio than Chinese? *cries*