Introduction
You have weighed it up and landed somewhere: 还是明天去吧。(Háishi míngtiān qù ba.) — let's go tomorrow after all. This 还是 (háishi) is the sound of a decision being made out loud, and it almost always ends in 吧 (ba).
Overview
Structure: (Subj. +) 还是 (háishi) + [Verb Phrase] + 吧 (ba)
| Pattern | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 还是 + VP + 吧 | 还是明天去吧。(Háishi míngtiān qù ba.) | Let's go tomorrow instead. |
| Subj. + 还是 + VP + 吧 | 你还是别去了吧。(Nǐ háishi bié qù le ba.) | Maybe you shouldn't go after all. |
| Answering a choice | 还是喝茶吧。(Háishi hē chá ba.) | Tea, I think. |
| With a reason | 太贵了，还是买那个吧。(Tài guì le, háishi mǎi nàge ba.) | Too dear — let's get that one. |
| 还是 = still | 下雨了，我还是要去。(Xià yǔ le, wǒ háishi yào qù.) | It's raining, but I'm still going. |
One 还是 (háishi), three jobs — the ending tells them apart:
- A choice question, ending in a question: 你喝茶还是喝咖啡？(Nǐ hē chá háishi hē kāfēi?)
- "Still, all the same", in the middle of a statement: 下雨了，我还是要去。(Xià yǔ le, wǒ háishi yào qù.)
- A decision, ending in 吧 (ba): 还是明天去吧。(Háishi míngtiān qù ba.)
- Without 吧 (ba) the third one stops sounding like a suggestion, so keep it: 还是明天去吧。(Háishi míngtiān qù ba.)
Examples
还是明天去吧，今天太晚了。
Háishi míngtiān qù ba, jīntiān tài wǎn le.
Let's go tomorrow, it's too late today.
外面下雨，我们还是在家吃吧。
Wàimiàn xià yǔ, wǒmen háishi zài jiā chī ba.
It's raining, let's eat at home instead.
你还是别去了吧。
Nǐ háishi bié qù le ba.
Maybe you shouldn't go after all.
太贵了，还是买那个吧。
Tài guì le, háishi mǎi nàge ba.
That's too expensive, let's get that one.
我还是坐地铁吧，开车太慢。
Wǒ háishi zuò dìtiě ba, kāichē tài màn.
I'll take the subway, driving is too slow.
还是你说吧，我不太清楚。
Háishi nǐ shuō ba, wǒ bú tài qīngchu.
You'd better be the one to explain, I'm not sure.
Usage Notes
- It carries the sense of "on second thoughts" — something else was on the table first, even if it was never said out loud.
- It is the polite way to turn a suggestion down: instead of 不 (bù), offer 还是……吧 (háishi… ba) and name the alternative.
- Pairing it with 别 (bié) softens advice a lot: 你还是别去了吧。(Nǐ háishi bié qù le ba.)
- A reason usually sits on one side or the other: 太贵了，还是买那个吧。(Tài guì le, háishi mǎi nàge ba.)
- It is spoken, not written, and it belongs to the moment of deciding. Once the decision is old news, say 我们明天去。(Wǒmen míngtiān qù.)