How to use 要么…要么…
要么⋯⋯，要么⋯⋯
要么…要么… presents alternatives as separate choices. Put 要么 before each option, keeping the grammatical shape parallel enough for the listener to compare them easily. The options can be actions, arrangements, or whole clauses with different subjects. This pattern often feels more decisive than casually adding another possibility to a list.
A shared subject can appear before the first 要么, while different subjects belong inside their respective alternatives. 就 sometimes appears in an option to reinforce the proposed consequence or course of action. The construction is common in instructions and decisions, but it can also describe possible outcomes without commanding anyone. Context determines whether the choice feels firm, urgent, or simply practical.
Examples with pinyin and English
要么你去， 要么他去。
Either you go, or he goes.
要么继续， 要么放弃。
Either keep going or give up.
要么好好做， 要么就别做。
You either do it well or don't do it.
要么现在就买， 要么现在就走。
Either buy it now, or leave now.
What to remember
- Introduce each alternative with 要么.
- Use parallel option structures where practical.
- Place different subjects inside their options.
Practise the pattern
Use one example as a model. Change the people, objects or situation, keeping the grammar pattern in the same order. Read the explanation again to check how your sentence uses the construction.
Look up the grammar words
Source and editorial notes
Explanation rewritten for Laowai. Examples are adapted from the Laowai English grammar curriculum, with editorial corrections where needed. The original curriculum credits AllSet Learning’s Chinese Grammar Wiki as used with permission. Read the retained source credits.
Difficulty labels describe the level of the explanation; they are not official HSK placement. Send a correction with this page’s URL.