Introduction
还是 (háishi) here means "still, all the same" — you do it anyway, despite what was just said. 下雨了，但是我还是要去。(Xià yǔ le, dànshì wǒ háishi yào qù.) — It's raining, but I'm going anyway. The first half sets up an obstacle; 还是 goes straight through it.
Overview
Structure: [Clause] ，(但是 (dànshì) / 可是 (kěshì) +) Subj. + 还是 (háishi) + [Verb Phrase]
| Pattern | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| ……，但是……还是…… | 很贵，但是我还是买了。(Hěn guì, dànshì wǒ háishi mǎi le.) | It was dear, but I bought it anyway. |
| ……，……还是…… | 下雨了，我还是去。(Xià yǔ le, wǒ háishi qù.) | It's raining; I'm going all the same. |
| 还是 + V + 吧（advice） | 你还是休息吧。(Nǐ háishi xiūxi ba.) | You'd better rest. |
| 还是 + 不 + V | 我还是不去了。(Wǒ háishi bú qù le.) | I think I won't go after all. |
| A + 还是 + B（question） | 你喝茶还是咖啡？(Nǐ hē chá háishi kāfēi?) | Tea or coffee? |
Two different 还是 (háishi) — the sentence type tells you which:
- In a statement, 还是 means "anyway, all the same": 我还是去。(Wǒ háishi qù.) — I'm going anyway.
- In a question between two options, it means "or": 你去还是我去？(Nǐ qù háishi wǒ qù?) — Are you going, or am I?
- Note that "or" in a statement is 或者 (huòzhě), never 还是: 茶或者咖啡都行。(Chá huòzhě kāfēi dōu xíng.)
- 还是……吧 (háishi … ba) is gentle advice: 还是明天去吧。(Háishi míngtiān qù ba.) — Better go tomorrow.
Examples
下雨了，但是我还是要去。
Xià yǔ le, dànshì wǒ háishi yào qù.
It's raining, but I'm still going.
很贵，可是我还是买了。
Hěn guì, kěshì wǒ háishi mǎi le.
It was expensive, but I bought it anyway.
他很忙，还是来了。
Tā hěn máng, háishi lái le.
He was busy, but he came all the same.
你很累，还是休息一下吧。
Nǐ hěn lèi, háishi xiūxi yíxià ba.
You're tired — you'd better take a break.
我还是不去了。
Wǒ háishi bú qù le.
I think I won't go after all.
你喝茶还是喝咖啡？
Nǐ hē chá háishi hē kāfēi?
Would you like tea or coffee?
Usage Notes
- 但是 (dànshì) and 可是 (kěshì) mean the same thing and are interchangeable; 可是 is a touch more spoken.
- Chinese happily keeps both halves of the pair — 虽然……但是…… (suīrán … dànshì …) — where English drops one. Using both is correct.
- 还是 (háishi) goes after the subject and before the verb, like every adverb: ✓ 我还是去 (wǒ háishi qù) ❌ 还是我去 (háishi wǒ qù) as a statement.
- 是 (shì) in 还是 is read in neutral tone — háishi, not hái shì.
- 还是……吧 (háishi … ba) softens a decision you have changed your mind about: 还是算了吧。(Háishi suàn le ba.) — Let's just drop it.