ці то ..., ці то

Whether ... or with Ці То

Level 6Sounds Like cí to ..., cí to

Ці то ён спаў, ці то не хацеў адказваць. Either he was asleep, or he did not want to answer; I can't tell which.

How It Works

Put ці то before each of two options when you cannot tell which one is true. English says either … or, maybe … maybe or something like … or:

  • Ці то ён спаў, ці то не хацеў адказваць. Either he was asleep, or he did not want to answer.
  • З лесу даносіўся ці то крык, ці то песня. From the forest came something like a shout, or maybe a song.

What it can join. Whole clauses, verbs, nouns and phrases with prepositions: ці то з-за дажджу, ці то з-за холаду (whether because of the rain or the cold).

Comma. As with other repeated conjunctions, put a comma before the second ці то.

Compare the neighbours.

  • То …, то describes things that alternate: Ён то смяецца, то плача (he laughs one moment and cries the next).
  • Або, альбо, ці offer a plain choice: чай або каву.
  • Ці то …, ці то says that one thing happened, but you cannot tell which: Ён ці то смяецца, ці то плача (he is either laughing or crying; it is hard to tell).

Examples (5)

  1. Ці то ён спаў, ці то не хацеў адказваць.

    Either he was asleep, or he did not want to answer.

    Word by Word: Whether that he slept, whether that not wanted to-answer.

  2. З лесу даносіўся ці то крык, ці то песня.

    From the forest came something like a shout, or maybe a song.

    Word by Word: From forest carried whether-that shout, whether-that song.

  3. Яна ці то смяялася, ці то плакала.

    She was either laughing or crying; it was hard to tell.

    Word by Word: She whether-that laughed, whether-that cried.

  4. Ці то з-за дажджу, ці то з-за холаду людзей было мала.

    Whether because of the rain or the cold, there were few people.

    Word by Word: Whether-that because-of rain, whether-that because-of cold of-people was few.

  5. На вуліцы ці то снег, ці то дождж.

    Outside it's something between snow and rain.

    Word by Word: On street whether-that snow, whether-that rain.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving out the comma before the second ці то.

    Яна ці то смяялася ці то плакала.
    Яна ці то смяялася, ці то плакала.

    With a repeated conjunction, a comma goes before the second part.

  • Using ці то … ці то for events that alternate.

    Ён ці то смяецца, ці то плача (meaning he laughs one minute and cries the next).
    Ён то смяецца, то плача.

    The intended meaning is alternation: first one, then the other. Ці то … ці то means you cannot tell which one is happening. For alternation, use то …, то.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

ці то ..., ці тоLevel 6Whether ... or with Ці То

Learn This First

Whether ... or needs ці and то ... то.

Words in This Pattern

ціто