AdverbsHSK 4
Expressing 'had better' with 还是
还是 can be used as an adverb to mean 'had better' or 'it would be better to.' It indicates that the speaker has considered the options and made a decision, and it is often paired with the suggestion particle 吧 at the end of the sentence.
Structure
Subj. + 还是 + Verb Phrase + 吧
The particle 吧 indicates this is a suggestion.
Examples
- 还是明天去吧。Háishì míngtiān qù ba.We'd better go tomorrow.
- 你还是快点走吧。Nǐ háishì kuài diǎn zǒu ba.You'd better leave now.
- 我们还是帮帮他吧。Wǒmen háishì bāngbang tā ba.We'd better help him.
- 这里太脏了，我们还是走吧。Zhèlǐ tài zāng le, wǒmen háishì zǒu ba.It's too dirty here; we'd better leave.
- 太贵了，还是别买了。Tài guì le, háishì bié mǎi le.It's too expensive. You'd better not buy it.