或者
Chinese
maybe; perhaps; might; possibly; or |
‑ist, ‑er (person); person (who does sth) | ||
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simp. and trad. (或者) |
或 | 者 |
Pronunciation
Usage notes
- In Mandarin, 或者 is exclusively used in statements, while 還是/还是 (háishì) is only used in questions. The inclusion of 還是/还是 in a sentence replaces the need for 嗎/吗 (ma) as a question word.
- In Cantonese, 或者 is exclusively used in statements, while 抑或 (jik1 waak6) or 定係/定系 (ding6 hai6) is only used in questions.
Adverb
或者
- maybe
- 或者於某集,我可抬頭欣賞到你;或者一轉念便要失去你;或者轉折漸太多,遺忘怎擁抱你;或者擁緊偏已斷氣。 [Literary Cantonese, trad.]
- From: 連續劇 by Joey Yung
- Waak6 ze2 jyu1 mau5 zaap6, ngo5 ho2 toi4 tau4 jan1 soeng2 dou3 nei5; waak6 ze2 jat1 zyun2 nim6 bin6 jiu3 sat1 heoi3 nei5; waak6 ze2 zyun2 zit3 zim6 taai3 do1, wai4 mong4 zam2 jung2 pou5 nei5; waak6 ze2 jung2 gan2 pin1 ji5 dyun6 hei3. [Jyutping]
- Maybe in a certain episode, I can lift my head up and admire you; maybe one second later I will lose you; maybe [I] have gone through too many things that [I] forgot how to embrace you; maybe [when I] hold [you] tightly, you have already breathed your last.
或者于某集,我可抬头欣赏到你;或者一转念便要失去你;或者转折渐太多,遗忘怎拥抱你;或者拥紧偏已断气。 [Literary Cantonese, simp.]- 書桓,我們馬上去找方瑜,把這件事情告訴她。或者還來得及救她。 [MSC, trad.]
- From: 2001, 情深深雨濛濛 by Chiung Yao (10:00)
- Shūhuán, wǒmen mǎshàng qù zhǎo Fāng Yú, bǎ zhè jiàn shìqing gàosu tā. Huòzhě hái láidejí jiù tā. [Pinyin]
- Shuhuan, let's immediately go and visit Fang Yu, and tell her this affair. Maybe it is yet able to make it to save her.
书桓,我们马上去找方瑜,把这件事情告诉她。或者还来得及救她。 [MSC, simp.]
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