English–Japanese
“or” in Japanese
How to say “or” in Japanese
“Or” in Japanese is ないし (naishi).
Connects two or more alternatives or marks the endpoints of a range, covering meanings such as "or," "between," and "from ... to ...".
Example sentences with ないし
ご連絡は電話ないしメールでお願いします。go ren raku wa den wa na i shi mē ru de o nega i shi ma su
Please contact us by phone or email.
Tips for using ないし
- The conjunction ないし (naishi) sounds formal in modern Japanese, while everyday conversation more often uses または (matawa, "or") or か (ka, "or").
Other Japanese words for “or”
水またはお茶を飲みます。mizu ma ta wa o cha o no mi ma su
I drink water or tea.
水あるいはお茶を飲みます。mizu a ru i wa o cha o no mi ma su
I drink water or tea.
コーヒーにしますか、それともお茶にしますか。kō hī ni shi ma su ka so re to mo o cha ni shi ma su ka
Will you have coffee or tea?
電車もしくはバスで行きます。den sha mo shi ku wa ba su de i ki ma su
I will go by train or bus.