<p>There is no rule for this and is mostly based on preferences. If the verb for the two actions are the same, you can choose if you want to omit it. However, in China, often one way of expressing is more fluent and more widely used than the other. The exact rule is difficult to describe, but it is likely based on the rhythm and flow of the language.</p>
<p>For example:</p>
<p>Saying 你喝咖啡还是喝茶？and 你喝咖啡还是茶？are both valid ways of expression, but the former sounds more rhythmically like a question and therefore is more often preferred.</p>
<p>On the other hand, 他学习英语还是日语？and 他学习英语还是学习日语？are also both valid, but the latter often sounds unnecessarily wordly and is often avoided.</p>
<p>P.S. In China, you may also often here people adding another word within these expressions to clarify what exactly they are asking. For example, 你喝咖啡还是喝茶？is ambiguous since we cannot really identify if it means &quot;Do you want to drink coffee or tea&quot; or &quot;Are you drinking coffee or tea&quot;. For the former meaning, we often clarify by saying 你要喝咖啡还是喝茶？. For the latter meaning, we clarify by saying 你在喝咖啡还是喝茶？.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-10-14T09:50:00.210Z
Thanks for the PS, it helps to remove the ambiguity. +1
oscarah
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-10-12T13:19:04.407Z
2020-10-12T13:19:04.407Z
Ivan Yuan
<p>From C. Li, S. Thompson, <em>Mandarin Chinese: A functional reference grammar</em>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>This category of questions explicitly presents the respondent with a choice of two or more possible answers connected by 还是, which may be called <strong>constituents</strong>. The syntactic nature of the connected constituents may vary from question to question, but all such constituents within a question are of the <strong>same syntactic type</strong>. Some examples of constituent types:</p>
<ol>
<li><p><strong>Verbs</strong>:</p>
<p>你<strong>走</strong>还是<strong>跑</strong>? <em>Will you <strong>walk</strong> or will you <strong>run</strong>?</em></p>
</li>
<li><p><strong>Direct objects</strong>:</p>
<p>你买<strong>这个</strong>还是<strong>那个</strong>? <em>Will you buy <strong>this one</strong> or <strong>that one</strong>?</em></p>
</li>
<li><p><strong>Subjects</strong>:</p>
<p><strong>张三</strong>还是<strong>李四</strong>讲话? <em>Is <strong>Zhangsan</strong> talking or is <strong>Lisi</strong> talking?</em></p>
</li>
<li><p><strong>Coverb phrases</strong>:</p>
<p>他在<strong>这儿</strong>还是<strong>哪儿</strong>住? <em>Does she live <strong>here</strong> or <strong>there</strong>?</em></p>
</li>
<li><p><strong>Adverb phrases</strong>:</p>
<p>他<strong>今天</strong>还是<strong>明天</strong>来? <em>Is he coming <strong>today</strong> or <strong>tomorrow</strong>?</em></p>
</li>
<li><p><strong>Nominalized adjectives</strong>:</p>
<p>那本书是<strong>红的</strong>还是<strong>白的</strong>? <em>Is that book <strong>red</strong> or <strong>white</strong>?</em></p>
</li>
</ol>
</blockquote>
<p>So coming back to your question, both examples are fine: in 你<strong>喝茶</strong>还是<strong>喝咖啡</strong>？the constituents are <em>verb phrases</em>, while in 他学习<strong>日语</strong>还是<strong>英语</strong>？the constituents are <em>direct objects</em>.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-10-12T09:17:51.313Z
2020-10-12T15:57:13.190Z
2020-10-12T15:57:13.190Z
Puco4
<p>I'm learning Chinese from a book, and there are some examples regarding the use of <code>还是</code>. In some cases, the verb is repeated, like in <code>你喝茶还是喝咖啡？</code> (note the two <code>喝</code> here). In other places, the second instance of the verb is omitted, like in <code>他学习日语还是英语？</code></p>
<p>Is this a question of preference, or there are some rules to omit the second verb?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-10-12T09:23:16.313Z
Just a matter of preference. You can ask 他學習日語還是學習英語? This might be regarded as wordy but wordy is not incorrect.
joehua
<grammar><usage><mandarin><verbs>
In a 还是 question, do I need to repeat the verb?
# In a 还是 question, do I need to repeat the verb?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-10-12)

I'm learning Chinese from a book, and there are some examples regarding the use of `还是`. In some cases, the verb is repeated, like in `你喝茶还是喝咖啡？` (note the two `喝` here). In other places, the second instance of the verb is omitted, like in `他学习日语还是英语？`

Is this a question of preference, or there are some rules to omit the second verb?

Thanks!

**Tags:** grammar, usage, mandarin, verbs

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Just a matter of preference. You can ask 他學習日語還是學習英語? This might be regarded as wordy but wordy is not incorrect.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2020-10-12. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

From C. Li, S. Thompson, *Mandarin Chinese: A functional reference grammar*:

> This category of questions explicitly presents the respondent with a choice of two or more possible answers connected by 还是, which may be called **constituents**. The syntactic nature of the connected constituents may vary from question to question, but all such constituents within a question are of the **same syntactic type**. Some examples of constituent types:
>
> 1. **Verbs**:
>
>    你**走**还是**跑**? *Will you **walk** or will you **run**?*
> 2. **Direct objects**:
>
>    你买**这个**还是**那个**? *Will you buy **this one** or **that one**?*
> 3. **Subjects**:
>
>    **张三**还是**李四**讲话? *Is **Zhangsan** talking or is **Lisi** talking?*
> 4. **Coverb phrases**:
>
>    他在**这儿**还是**哪儿**住? *Does she live **here** or **there**?*
> 5. **Adverb phrases**:
>
>    他**今天**还是**明天**来? *Is he coming **today** or **tomorrow**?*
> 6. **Nominalized adjectives**:
>
>    那本书是**红的**还是**白的**? *Is that book **red** or **white**?*

So coming back to your question, both examples are fine: in 你**喝茶**还是**喝咖啡**？the constituents are *verb phrases*, while in 他学习**日语**还是**英语**？the constituents are *direct objects*.


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### Answer by username_2 on 2020-10-12. Score: 4

There is no rule for this and is mostly based on preferences. If the verb for the two actions are the same, you can choose if you want to omit it. However, in China, often one way of expressing is more fluent and more widely used than the other. The exact rule is difficult to describe, but it is likely based on the rhythm and flow of the language.

For example:

Saying 你喝咖啡还是喝茶？and 你喝咖啡还是茶？are both valid ways of expression, but the former sounds more rhythmically like a question and therefore is more often preferred.

On the other hand, 他学习英语还是日语？and 他学习英语还是学习日语？are also both valid, but the latter often sounds unnecessarily wordly and is often avoided.

P.S. In China, you may also often here people adding another word within these expressions to clarify what exactly they are asking. For example, 你喝咖啡还是喝茶？is ambiguous since we cannot really identify if it means "Do you want to drink coffee or tea" or "Are you drinking coffee or tea". For the former meaning, we often clarify by saying 你要喝咖啡还是喝茶？. For the latter meaning, we clarify by saying 你在喝咖啡还是喝茶？.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thanks for the PS, it helps to remove the ambiguity. +1  

---

