17.9 Comparison Between 定 ding6 / 定係 ding6 hai6 (‘or’) and 或者 waak6 ze2 (‘or’)
We generally use 定 ding6 or 定係 ding6 hai6 to mean ‘or’ in questions, and 或者 waak6 ze2 to mean ‘or’ in statements.
However, there are situations where we use 或者 waak6 ze2 instead of 定 ding6 or 定係 ding6 hai6 in a question. One situation is when there are multiple options mentioned in the question, but the question doesn’t literally ask for one of the options as the answer.
| A: | 你星期六或者星期日得唔得呀？ nei5 sing1 kei4 luk6 waak6 ze2 sing1 kei4 jat6 dak1 m4 dak1 aa3? Are you okay on Saturday or Sunday? [Are you okay on one of these two days?] |
| B: | → 得呀。 dak1 aa3. Yes. → 唔得呀。 m4 dak1 aa3. No. |
We may choose to indicate one of the options in the answer, but the key point is that the question doesn’t directly ask for it.
| A: | 你星期六或者星期日得唔得呀？ nei5 sing1 kei4 luk6 waak6 ze2 sing1 kei4 jat6 dak1 m4 dak1 aa3? Are you okay on Saturday or Sunday? |
| B: | 我星期六得呀。 ngo5 sing1 kei4 luk6 dak1 aa3. I am okay on Saturday. |
As a rule of thumb, this type of question often has a X-not-X construction.
你星期六或者星期日得唔得呀？
nei5 sing1 kei4 luk6 waak6 ze2 sing1 kei4 jat6 dak1 m4 dak1 aa3?
Are you okay on Saturday or Sunday?
Also, note that we usually use 或者 waak6 ze2 to indicate options in a suggestion. A suggestion may look like a question as we often expect a response when making a suggestion. However, a suggestion doesn’t directly ask for one of the options as the answer so we will still use 或者 waak6 ze2.
| A: | 不如星期六或者星期日吖。 bat1 jyu4 sing1 kei4 luk6 waak6 ze2 sing1 kei4 jat6 aa1. Why don’t we choose Saturday or Sunday? |
| B: | → 好呀。 hou2 aa3. Good. → 我星期六同星期日都唔得呀。 ngo5 sing1 kei4 luk6 tung4 sing1 kei4 jat6 dou1 m4 dak1 aa3. I am not okay on both Saturday and Sunday. |