还是
HSK 2 (exam 2025)HSK 1 (2021)Old HSK 3
还是 (háishi) · or
还是 (háishi) means “or; still”. It is written with 2 characters: 还 (still) + 是 (to be). It is an HSK 2 word in the current exam syllabus (2025).
How 还是 is built
The characters
还 hái · still
What 还 is made of
- 辶 — walking, moving
- 不bù — not
- 一 — horizontal stroke
Origin hint: Not 不 moving 辶 (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
是 shì · to be
What 是 is made of
- 日rì — sun; day
- 口kǒu — mouth
- 冂 — frame
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 口kǒu — mouth
- 疋pǐ — foot shape
Origin hint: To speak 日 directly 疋 (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
Example sentences
你喝茶还是喝水？Nǐ hē chá háishi hē shuǐ?Will you have tea or water?
他还是很忙。Tā háishi hěn máng.He's still very busy.
Questions about 还是
What does 还是 mean?
还是 (háishi) means “or; still”.
How do you pronounce 还是?
还是 is pronounced háishi.
Which HSK level is 还是?
还是 is in HSK 2 (exam 2025) and HSK 1 (2021) and Old HSK 3.
Related words
- 还有háiyǒualso
- 讨价还价tǎojiàhuánjiàto bargain
- 偿还chánghuánto repay
- 归还guīhuánto return
- 还原huányuánto restore
- 还háistill
- 是不是shìbushìis it or not
- 但是dànshìbut
- 可是kěshìbut
- 老是lǎoshialways
Learn 还是 with its group
It is part of HSK 1 (2021) · Group 41: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.