How to say “or” in Chinese
or; either… or
“Or” in Chinese is 或是, huò shì: the meaning, a recording of how it sounds, the characters stroke by stroke and examples.
How to pronounce it
或是 is read huò shì: 2 syllables. The tone is part of the word: with another melody you get another word, or just a jumble of sounds.
How to write it
On top, 日 “sun”.
Strokes go in order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical. Tap a character to open its page, with the strokes shown large and the words it appears in. To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for “或是”.
Examples
Sentences from the course lessons with 或是. Tap the sound icon to listen.
- 周末我或是在家看书，或是去公园散步。zhōumòwǒhuòshìzàijiākànshū,huòshìqùgōngyuánsànbùOn weekends I either read at home or go for a walk in the park.
- 你可以打电话或是发邮件nǐkěyǐdǎdiànhuàhuòshìfāyóujiànYou can call or send an email.
- 报名可以打电话或是发邮件bàomíngkěyǐdǎdiànhuàhuòshìfāyóujiànYou can sign up by phone or by email.
More words from the lesson “And, as well as, or”
Look up another word in the Chinese–English dictionary: in English, in pinyin or in characters.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say “or” in Chinese?
“Or” in Chinese is 或是, pinyin huòshì.
What does 或是 mean?
或是 (huòshì) means “or; either… or”.
How do you write 或是?
或是 is 2 characters: 或 (huò) — or; 是 (shì) — be. The stroke order of each one is shown step by step on this page.
How do you pronounce 或是?
或是 is read huòshì. Tones: huò — fourth tone, shì — fourth tone. The page has a native speaker recording.
“or” in the lesson “And, as well as, or”
This word is from the topic “Linking ideas” of HSK 5. In the lesson you hear it in a dialogue, build a sentence with it and say it out loud. Start for free, no sign-up needed.
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