或者

或者

1. or

   甲或者乙  ―  jiǎ huòzhě yǐ  ―  A or B

2. either ... or ...; or

• In Mandarin, 或者 is exclusively used in statements, while 還是／还是 (háishì) is only used in questions. The inclusion of 還是／还是 in a sentence replaces the need for 嗎／吗 (ma) as a question word.
• In Cantonese, 或者 is exclusively used in statements, while 抑或 (jik1 waak6) or 定係／定系 (ding6 hai6) is only used in questions.

• (or): 或是 (huòshì), 或 (huò); (Hokkien) 抑是, 抑
• (either ... or ...):

或者

1. perhaps; maybe

   • 或者於某集，我可抬頭欣賞到你；或者一轉念便要失去你；或者轉折漸太多，遺忘怎擁抱你；或者擁緊偏已斷氣。 [Literary Cantonese, trad.]
     或者于某集，我可抬头欣赏到你；或者一转念便要失去你；或者转折渐太多，遗忘怎拥抱你；或者拥紧偏已断气。 [Literary Cantonese, simp.]

     From: 連續劇 by Joey Yung

     waak⁶ ze² jyu¹ mau⁵ zaap⁶, ngo⁵ ho² toi⁴ tau⁴ jan¹ soeng² dou³ nei⁵; waak⁶ ze² jat¹ zyun² nim⁶ bin⁶ jiu³ sat¹ heoi³ nei⁵; waak⁶ ze² zyun² zit³ zim⁶ taai³ do¹, wai⁴ mong⁴ zam² jung² pou⁵ nei⁵; waak⁶ ze² jung² gan² pin¹ ji⁵ dyun⁶ hei³. [Jyutping]

     Maybe in a certain episode, I can lift my head up and admire you; maybe one second later I will lose you; maybe [I] have gone through too many things that [I] forgot how to embrace you; maybe [when I] hold [you] tightly, you have already breathed your last.

   • 書桓，我們馬上去找方瑜，把這件事情告訴她。或者還來得及救她。 [MSC, trad.]
     书桓，我们马上去找方瑜，把这件事情告诉她。或者还来得及救她。 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 2001, 情深深雨濛濛 by Chiung Yao (10:00)

     Shūhuán, wǒmen mǎshàng qù zhǎo Fāng Yú, bǎ zhè jiàn shìqing gàosu tā. Huòzhě hái láidejí jiù tā. [Pinyin]

     Shuhuan, let's immediately go and visit Fang Yu, and tell her this affair. Maybe it is yet able to make it to save her.

或者

1. (Classical) some people

或者 • (hokja) (hangeul 혹자)

1. Hanja form^? of 혹자 (“some, someone, some people”).