或者（選擇）

Or (In Statements)

Level 2Sounds Like waak6 ze2

或者 (waak6 ze2) means 'or' in Cantonese statements and inclusive yes/no questions. Unlike English 'or', it cannot be used in exclusive choice questions—use 定係 (ding6 hai6) for those instead!

How It Works

或者 (waak6 ze2) is used in Cantonese for 'or' in statements, as well as expressing 'maybe / perhaps'. It can also be used in inclusive yes/no questions.

1. Basic Sentence Structure & Spoken Variant
Place 或者 directly between nouns, verbs, or full clauses:
• [Option A] + 或者 + [Option B]
• Example: 我哋今晚煮飯，或者出去食都得。(We could cook tonight, or go out to eat—either is fine.)
• In spoken Cantonese, you will often hear 又或者 (jau6 waak6 ze2) used to present an alternative suggestion or afterthought ("or alternatively...").
• In formal contexts, written Cantonese, menus, and public signs, 或者 is frequently shortened to just 或 (waak6).

2. Paired Pattern for Possibilities
When repeated before each alternative choice in 或者……或者…… (waak6 ze2 ... waak6 ze2 ...), it translates to 'maybe [A], or maybe [B]':
• 我哋或者移民，或者留喺度。(Maybe we'll emigrate, or maybe we'll stay here.)

3. Crucial Distinctions
Cantonese carefully separates different types of 'or':
• Statements & Inclusive Questions: Use 或者 to offer open options, alternative suggestions, or to ask if any of the options work (e.g., 你星期六或者星期日得唔得呀？ - Are you free on Saturday or Sunday?).
• Exclusive Choice Questions: Use 定係 (which is very frequently shortened to just 定 in casual, fast speech) when asking a question where the listener must choose one option over the other.
• Indirect / Embedded Questions: Even in indirect questions expressing uncertainty (e.g. "I don't know whether A or B"), you must use 定係 (or 定) rather than 或者! E.g. 我唔知佢嚟定唔嚟 (I don't know if he's coming or not), or 我唔知佢想食蘋果定(係)橙 (I don't know if he wants to eat apples or oranges).
• Negative Sentences: In English, we say 'I don't want A or B'. In Cantonese, 或者 works here too: 我唔食牛肉或者豬肉 means you eat neither. A 'both' structure with 同, as in A同B我都唔要, says it more firmly.
• Ultimatums: Use 一係……一係…… for strict, mutually exclusive choices.

4. Dual Function: Conjunction & Modal Adverb
或者 is a dual-function word in Cantonese. In addition to acting as a conjunction ('or'), it formally functions as a standalone modal adverb meaning 'maybe', 'perhaps', or 'possibly' (similar to 可能). While 可能 implies objective probability or likelihood, 或者 often feels like a subjective guess or an alternative suggestion. As an adverb, it can be placed before the verb (e.g., 佢或者會嚟 - He might come) or at the very beginning of the sentence before the subject (e.g., 或者我哋今晚出去食 - Maybe we'll go out to eat tonight).

Examples (5)

  1. 我哋或者移民，或者留喺度。

    Maybe we'll emigrate, or maybe we'll stay here.

    Word by Word: We maybe emigrate, maybe stay at here.

    Uses the paired 或者...或者... pattern to present two tentative possibilities.

  2. 你搭巴士或者地鐵都去到金鐘。

    You can get to Admiralty by taking either the bus or the MTR.

    Word by Word: You take bus or MTR all arrive Admiralty.

    Connects two noun options ('bus' and 'MTR') in a statement.

  3. 我哋今晚煮飯，或者出去食都得。

    Tonight we could cook at home, or we could go out to eat—either is fine.

    Word by Word: We tonight cook rice, or go out eat also okay.

    Connects two action clauses while conveying flexibility.

  4. 你星期六或者星期日得唔得呀？

    Are you free on either Saturday or Sunday?

    Word by Word: You Saturday or Sunday available not available [particle]?

    或者 can appear in a Yes/No question asking whether any option works, rather than forcing the listener to pick one specific day.

  5. 或者佢聽日會嚟。

    Maybe he will come tomorrow.

    Word by Word: Maybe he tomorrow will come.

    或者 can also function as a standalone modal adverb meaning 'maybe' or 'perhaps'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 或者 in a direct choice question.

    你想飲咖啡或者茶呀？
    你想飲咖啡定係茶呀？

    English uses 'or' for both statements and questions. In Cantonese, choice questions asking the listener to choose MUST use 定係 (ding6 hai6) or its short form 定 (ding6), not 或者.

  • Thinking 或者 cannot be used in a negative sentence.

    Different Meaning我唔食牛肉或者豬肉。
    牛肉豬肉我都唔食。

    我唔食牛肉或者豬肉 is natural and means you eat neither. 牛肉豬肉我都唔食 says the same thing more firmly. With 同 (我唔食牛肉同豬肉) it can sound like 'I do not eat beef and pork together'.

  • Using 或者 for strict ultimatums or exclusive choices.

    你或者交錢，或者離開！
    你一係交錢，一係離開！

    或者 conveys hesitant possibilities ('maybe pay, maybe leave'). For firm ultimatums, use 一係...一係... (jat1 hai6... jat1 hai6...).

How It Connects

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或者（選擇）Level 2Or (In Statements)

Learn This First

To use '或者' correctly, you need to understand how to form basic statements and be aware that Cantonese uses different words for 'or' depending on whether you are making a statement or asking a question.

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