You probably know 還是 háishì还是 háishi as “or” or “still.” It can also mean “had better”: after thinking about the options, the speaker picks the better one. 吧 ba at the end makes it sound like a friendly suggestion.
一還是还是 + Suggestion + 吧
Subject + 還是还是 + Suggestion + 吧
Put 還是 háishì还是 háishi before the suggested action and end with 吧 ba. It sounds like “You’d better…” or “Maybe we should…”
你還是还是換换個个男朋友男朋友吧！
You’d better find a new boyfriend!
颱風台风要來来了，我們我们還是还是取消明天的野餐吧
A typhoon is coming, so we’d better cancel tomorrow’s picnic.
我們我们還是还是坐公車公交车去吧
We’d better take the bus.
你還是还是去看醫生医生吧！你臉色脸色真的很難看难看
You’d better go see a doctor! You really don’t look well.
你還是还是再考慮考虑一下吧！不要衝動冲动做決定决定
You’d better think it over! Don’t make a decision on impulse.
二還是还是 + Suggestion + 比較比较 + Adj
Subject + 還是还是 + Suggestion + 比較比较 + Adjective
Instead of 吧 ba, you can end with 比較 bǐjiào比较 bǐjiào + adjective to give a reason: “it’s better / faster / more appropriate.”
你還是还是換换個个男朋友男朋友比較比较妥！
You’d better find a new boyfriend. That would be wiser!
妥 tuǒ means “appropriate” or “safe,” a slightly more formal word.
颱風台风要來来了，我們我们還是还是取消明天的野餐比較比较好
A typhoon is coming, so it’s better if we cancel tomorrow’s picnic.
我們我们還是还是坐公車公交车去比較比较快
We’d better take the bus. It’s faster.
中文字還是还是繁體字繁体字比較比较漂亮漂亮
When it comes down to it, traditional characters are prettier.
Here there’s no action to suggest. 還是 háishì还是 háishi just means “after comparing, this one wins.”
生日還是还是要吃生日蛋糕比較比较有fu有感觉
A birthday just feels more like a birthday with a birthday cake.
FYI: 有fu有fu yǒu fu is popular Taiwanese slang. “Fu” sounds like the English word feel, so 有fu means something really hits you or has the right vibe.
這部電影真有fu。这部电影真有fu。 This movie really gets you. 那首歌很有fu。 That song really touches me.
In mainland China, people would usually say 有感覺 yǒu gǎnjué有感觉 yǒu gǎnjué instead.
三還是还是 + 別别 + Verb + 了
Subject + 還是还是 + 別别 / 不要 + Verb + 了
To tell someone to stop or drop a plan, use 還是 háishì还是 háishi + 別 bié别 bié or 不要 búyào, and end with 了 le.
這这牛奶好像酸了，你還是还是別别喝了
This milk seems to have gone sour. You’d better not drink it.
現在现在很晚了，我們我们還是还是別别出去了
It’s late. We’d better not go out.
那個个人已經已经結婚结婚了，你還是还是不要跟他見面见面了
That guy is already married. You’d better not see him anymore.
我們我们還是还是別别說说了，她就要回來回来了
We’d better stop talking. She’ll be back any second.
四還是还是 vs. 最好
最好 zuìhǎo is another common way to say “had better.” The difference: 還是 háishì还是 háishi suggests you’ve weighed the options and picked one, often changing your mind. 最好 zuìhǎo is more general advice.
還是⋯吧还是⋯吧 · after thinking it over
我們我们還是还是坐公車公交车去吧
(We were going to walk, but…) we’d better take the bus.
最好 · general advice
你最好早一點一点出門出门
You’d better leave early. (Just good advice.)
五 Common Mistakes
❌ 你還是还是去看醫生医生了
✅ 你還是还是去看醫生医生吧
With 了, this sounds like it already happened: “You went to see the doctor after all.” For a suggestion, end with 吧 ba.
❌ 還是还是我們我们坐公車公交车去吧
✅ 我們我们還是还是坐公車公交车去吧
還是 háishì还是 háishi is an adverb here, so it goes after the subject.
❌ 我們我们還是还是坐公車公交车去吧比較比较快
✅ 我們我们還是还是坐公車公交车去比較比较快
Use 吧 baor比較 bǐjiào比较 bǐjiào + adjective, not both.
六 Practice
Tap the words below in the right order to build the sentence, then check your answer. If it’s wrong, you can try again as many times as you like, or hit “Show answer” if you get stuck. Careful: some tiles are traps and are not needed!
Question 1 of 10
“It’s raining. We’d better take a taxi.”
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❌ Try Again
下雨了，我們我们還是还是坐計程車出租车吧
Subject + 還是 háishì还是 háishi + suggestion + 吧 ba.
“You’d better go to bed early.”
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❌ Try Again
你還是还是早點点睡吧
A friendly suggestion ends with 吧 ba, so the 了 le tile is a trap.
“We’d better take the MRTsubway. It’s faster.”
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我們我们還是还是坐捷運地铁比較比较快
比較 bǐjiào比较 bǐjiào + adjective gives the reason.
“You’d better think it over again.”
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你還是还是再考慮考虑一下吧
還是 háishì还是 háishi comes before 再 zài.
“That guy is really weird. You’d better not talk to him.”
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那個个人很奇怪，你還是还是別别跟他說話说话了
還是 háishì还是 háishi + 別 bié别 bié … 了 le to tell someone not to do something.
“It’s too expensive. Let’s not buy it.”
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太貴贵了，我們我们還是还是別别買买了
Dropping the plan to buy it. 💸
“When it comes down to it, staying home is more comfortable.”
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還是还是在家比較比较舒服舒服
After comparing, home wins. 🛋️
“You don’t look well. You’d better go see a doctor.”
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你臉色脸色不太好，你還是还是去看醫生医生吧
Reason first, then the suggestion.
“There’s a typhoon tomorrow. It’s better if we cancel the trip.”
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明天有颱風台风，我們我们還是还是取消旅行比較比较好
比較好 bǐjiào hǎo比较好 bǐjiào hǎo at the end, instead of 吧 ba.
“The milk has gone bad. You’d better not drink it.”
