Chinese

Noun

或者

1. (classical) some people

Adverb

或者

1. 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.]

   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.]

   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.

Conjunction

或者

1. or

   A或者B  ―  A huòzhě B  ―  A or B

Usage notes

• In Mandarin, 或者 is exclusively used in statements, while 還是／还是 (háishì) is only used in questions.
• 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.

Synonyms

• 還是／还是 (háishì)
• 或是 (huòshì)
• 或 (huò)