Complex Sentence PatternsHSK 4
Expressing "either... or..." with 要么
要么 (yàome) is used to give two alternatives, meaning 'either... or...'. It can be placed before verbs, nouns, or whole clauses, and often appears in commands or strong suggestions. Note that the second 要么 may be followed by 就 for added emphasis, but this is optional.
Structure
要么 + Option A, 要么 (+ 就) + Option B
the second 要么 may be followed by 就 for emphasis
Examples
- 要么你去，要么他去。Yàome nǐ qù, yàome tā qù.Either you go, or he goes.
- 要么继续，要么放弃。Yàome jìxù, yàome fàngqì.Either keep going or give up.
- 要么好好做，要么就别做。Yàome hǎohāo zuò, yàome jiù bié zuò.You either do it well or don't do it.
- 你要么回老家，要么留在上海。Nǐ yàome huí lǎojiā, yàome liúzài Shànghǎi.You either go back to your hometown or stay in Shanghai.
- 你要么加入我们队，要么加入他们队。Nǐ yàome jiārù wǒmen duì, yàome jiārù tāmen duì.You either join our team or their team.