Had Better To – 還是 háishì… 吧 ba

Grammar Point:
One of the ways to express ‘had better’ in Chinese is 還是还是 háishì…吧 ba. 還是还是háishì as an adverb can express ‘still’, ‘yet’, and ‘or’, it can also express a preference for an alternative. 吧 ba is often placed in the end, as it’s a suggestion.

Structure

S + 還还是 + Suggestion + 吧

你nǐ還是háishì換huàn個ge男朋友nánpéngyǒu吧ba！ 你nǐ还是háishì换huàn个ge男朋友nánpéngyou吧ba！
You’d better get a new boyfriend!

颱風táifēng要yào來lái了le， 我們wǒmen還是háishì取消qǔxiāo明天míngtiān的de野餐yěcān吧ba台风táifēng要yào来lái了le， 我们wǒmen还是háishì取消qǔxiāo明天míngtiān的de野餐yěcān吧ba
A typhoon is coming, so we had better cancel the picnic tomorrow.

我們wǒmen還是háishì坐zuò公車gōngchē去qù吧ba我们wǒmen还是háishì坐zuò公交车gōngjiāochē去qù吧ba
We had better go by bus.

你nǐ還是háishì去qù看kàn醫生yīshēng吧ba！ 你nǐ臉色liǎnsè真的zhēnde很hěn難看nánkàn你nǐ还是háishì去qù看kàn医生yīshēng吧ba！ 你nǐ脸色liǎnsè真的zhēnde很hěn难看nánkàn
You should see a doctor! You don’t look good.

你nǐ還是háishì再zài考慮kǎolǜ一下yíxià吧ba！ 不要búyào衝動chōngdòng做zuò決定juédìng你nǐ还是háishì再zài考虑kǎolǜ一下yíxià吧ba！ 不要búyào冲动chōngdòng做zuò决定juédìng
You should think about it again! Don’t make a hasty decision.

S + 還还是 + Suggestion + 比較较 + Adj

你nǐ還是háishì換huàn個ge男朋友nánpéngyǒu比較bǐjiào妥tuǒ！ 你nǐ还是háishì换huàn个ge男朋友nánpéngyou比较bǐjiào妥tuǒ！
You’d better get a new boyfriend! It’s more appropriate.

颱風táifēng要yào來lái了le， 我們wǒmen還是háishì取消qǔxiāo明天míngtiān的de野餐yěcān比較bǐjiào好hǎo台风táifēng要yào来lái了le， 我们wǒmen还是háishì取消qǔxiāo明天míngtiān的de野餐yěcān比较bǐjiào好hǎo
A typhoon is coming, so we had better cancel the picnic tomorrow. It’s better.

我們wǒmen還是háishì坐zuò公車gōngchē去qù比較bǐjiào快kuài我们wǒmen还是háishì坐zuò公交车gōngjiāochē去qù比较bǐjiào快kuài
We had better go by bus. It’s faster.

中文字zhōngwénzì還是háishì繁體字fántǐzì比較bǐjiào漂亮piāoliàng中文字zhōngwénzì还是háishì繁体字fántǐzì比较bǐjiào漂亮piāoliang
Traditional Chinese characters are more beautiful than simplified ones.

生日shēngrì還是háishì要yào吃chī生日shēngrì蛋糕dàngāo比較bǐjiào有yǒufufeel生日shēngrì还是háishì要yào吃chī生日shēngrì蛋糕dàngāo比较bǐjiào有yǒufufeel
Having a birthday cake would create a better feeling for the celebration.

FYI
”有fu” is a popular internet slang term in Taiwan that describes a person or thing that gives a strong sense of excitement or stimulation, kind of like saying “kick in” in English! The word “fu” sounds like “few” and is short for “feel”.
For example, if someone says “這個電这个电影真有fu”, they are saying that the movie is very engaging and emotionally impactful. Another example might be someone saying “那首歌很有fu”, meaning that the song touches their heart deeply.

S + 還还是 + Neg + Suggestion + 了

This term is used to ask people to stop their current idea or behavior.

這zhè牛奶niúnǎi好像hǎoxiàng酸suān了le， 你nǐ還是háishì別bié喝hē了le这zhè牛奶niúnǎi好像hǎoxiàng酸suān了le， 你nǐ还是háishì别bié喝hē了le
This milk seems go sour. You had better not drink it.

現在xiànzài很hěn晚wǎn了le， 我們wǒmen還是háishì別bié出去chūqù了le现在xiànzài很hěn晚wǎn了le， 我们wǒmen还是háishì别bié出去chūqù了le
It’s late. We’d better not go out.

那nà個ge人rén已經yǐjīng結婚jiéhūn了le， 你nǐ還是háishì不要búyào跟gēn他tā見面jiànmiàn了le那nà个ge人rén已经yǐjīng结婚jiéhūn了le， 你nǐ还是háishì不要búyào跟gēn他tā见面jiànmiàn了le了
That person is already married, so you’d better not meet him.

我們wǒmen還是háishì別bié說shuō了le， 她tā就要jiùyào回來huílái了le我们wǒmen还是háishì别bié说shuō了le， 她tā就要jiùyào回来huílái了le
We better stop talking, she is coming back soon.

• Had better in Chinese with 最好 zuìhǎo (HSK 2)