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yàome... yàome...
either... or... (要么……要么……)
要么 A，要么 B means “either A or B.” It is especially common when presenting a decision or two possible actions.
Anchor example
要么今天完成，要么明天一早交。
Yàome jīntiān wánchéng, yàome míngtiān yì zǎo jiāo.
Either finish it today or submit it early tomorrow morning.
HSK 5
HSK 5
1
1 structures
15
15 exercises
Lesson summary
Read the sample sentence and notice how 要么……要么…… works in the frame: 要么 A，要么 B.
要么...要么... presents two alternatives in a balanced way. It is often used when making plans, negotiating, or forcing a choice. Both parts should be parallel. Compared with 不是...就是..., 要么...要么... sounds more like an active choice, while 不是...就是... often describes repeated possibilities or situations.
Grammar pattern
要么 A，要么 B
offers two clear choices, usually requiring one decision
要么今天完成，要么明天一早交。
Yàome jīntiān wánchéng, yàome míngtiān yì zǎo jiāo.
Either finish it today or submit it early tomorrow morning.
Fill in the blank: