Chinese word

要么

Pronunciation

Pinyinyào me

Meaning

  • conjunctioneither...or

Example

要么你说实话，要么我就走。yào me nǐ shuō shí huà yào me wǒ jiù zǒu

Either tell the truth, or I'll leave.

Illustration for 要么 (either...or)

More examples

要么现在签字，要么合同就作废。yào me xiàn zài qiān zì yào me hé tóng jiù zuò fèi

Either sign now or the contract will be void.

Core concept

A fork in the road where one route must be taken and the other routes are left behind.

Common phrases

  • 要么承担责任，要么推卸责任yào me chéng dān zé rèn yào me tuī xiè zé rèn

    either take responsibility or shift the blame

  • 要么承认错误，要么继续狡辩yào me chéng rèn cuò wù yào me jì xù jiǎo biàn

    either admit the mistake or keep making excuses

  • 要么同意，要么反对yào me tóng yì yào me fǎn duì

    either agree or disagree

Similar words

或者huò zhě: Offers alternative possibilities or choices in a statement without making the choice sound definite.
还是hái shì: Invites a choice between two or more options in a question or suggestion.

Definition in Chinese

表示在两种或多种互相排斥的可能性中作出选择，常与“要么……，要么……”成对使用，侧重二选一或必须采择其一。biǎo shì zài liáng zhǒng huò duō zhǒng hù xiāng pái chì de kě néng xìng zhōng zuò chū xuǎn zé cháng yǔ yào me yào me chéng duì shǐ yòng cè zhòng èr xuǎn yí huò bì xū cǎi zé qí yī

Word origin

要么 (yàome, "either...or...") combines 要 (yào, "want or need") with the colloquial suffix 么 (me, "suffix"), forming a spoken pattern for presenting alternatives.

Usage tips

  • In everyday conversation, this word can make a choice sound definite, so it often suits firm alternatives more than a casual addition of possibilities.

Opposites

  • 既...又...jì yòuboth X and Yconjunction
  • 不但...而且...bú dàn ér qiěnot only X but also Yconjunction

Word lists with this word