JLPT N3Connective

Furigana

それともOr (in a choice question)

それとも introduces the second or a later option in a question that asks someone to choose. It corresponds to “or,” but it normally continues an alternative that has already been mentioned.

Offering a choice

Place それとも immediately before the next option. The first option establishes the choice, and the expression signals that another possible answer is coming.

A polite choice

Staff

お支し払はらいは現げん金きんになさいますか、それともカードになさいますか。

Will you be paying in cash or by card?

Customer

カードでお願ねがいします。

By card, please.

A casual choice

A

明日あした、駅えきまで電でん車しゃで行いく？それともバスで行いく？

Are you going to the station by train tomorrow, or by bus?

B

バスで行いこう。

Let's take the bus.

The two questions are marked by intonation, so neither option needs か.

Inside a larger sentence

The alternatives can form a question inside a larger sentence. In this pattern, か commonly marks each option, while the main sentence says what someone will decide, investigate, or otherwise do about the choice.

会かい議ぎを月げつ曜よう日びにするか、それとも火か曜よう日びにするか、今日きょう中じゅうに決きめましょう。

Let's decide today whether to hold the meeting on Monday or Tuesday.

Adding another possibility

それとも can begin a follow-up question when the immediately preceding question has already supplied the first possibility. It should not appear without a choice that the listener can recover from the context.

A follow-up option

A

この写しゃ真しんは去きょ年ねんのものですか。

Is this photo from last year?

B

いいえ。

No.

A

それとも、一昨おと年としのものですか。

Or is it from the year before last?

Questions versus statements

それとも is the natural choice when asking which alternative applies. For alternatives in an ordinary statement, form, or instruction, または is normally more appropriate.

申もうし込こみ書しょは郵ゆう送そうまたはメールで提てい出しゅつしてください。

Please submit the application form by post or email.

This is an instruction, not a choice question, so it uses または.

More examples

店てん内ないで召めし上あがりますか、それともお持もち帰かえりですか。

Will you be eating here, or is it to go?

彼かれが本ほん当とうに知しらなかったのか、それとも知しらないふりをしていたのか、私わたしには判はん断だんできない。

I can't tell whether he truly didn't know or was pretending not to know.

責せき任にん者しゃは田た中なかさんですか、それとも佐さ藤とうさんですか。

Is the person in charge Ms. Tanaka or Mr. Sato?

予よ約やくは今日きょう取とり消けしますか、それとも日にっ程ていだけ変へん更こうしますか。

Will you cancel the reservation today, or just change the date?

映えい画が、家いえで見みる？それとも映えい画が館かんに行いく？

Shall we watch a movie at home, or go to the cinema?

この音おとは外そとから聞きこえるのか、それとも建たて物ものの中なかからなのか、確たしかめてください。

Please check whether this sound is coming from outside or from inside the building.

それとも (soretomo) – Or (in a choice question)