Chinese for English speakers House · Lesson 9

A or B?

Chinese A 还是 B — 你想喝点什么? 咖啡还是茶? (What would you like to drink? Coffee or tea?).

Conversation

  1. Rocky Rocky

    你想喝点什么？

    nǐ xiǎng hē diǎn shén me?

    What would you like to drink?

  2. Rocky Rocky

    咖啡还是茶？

    kā fēi hái shì chá?

    coffee or tea?

  3. Meera Meera

    随便，

    suí biàn,

    It's up to you,

    Tip: 随便 <suíbiàn> = up to you, as you wish

  4. Meera Meera

    喝茶吧！

    hē chá ba!

    let's have tea.

Common questions

Quick answers about this lesson's grammar and vocabulary.

What does 还是 do in questions?

Connects two options: A 还是 B = 'A or B?'. Used in either-or questions.

What is 喝点?

'Drink a little'. 点 (a little) softens the request. 喝点东西 = 'have something to drink'.

Chinese drink names?

咖啡 (coffee), 茶 (tea), 水 (water), 啤酒 (beer), 果汁 (juice), 牛奶 (milk), 奶茶 (milk tea).

Test yourself

Pick the English translation for each line from this lesson. Wrong answers are pulled from other Chinese lessons.

4 quick questions on what you just heard.

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