Japanese Grammar: それとも (Soretomo)

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Japanese Grammar: それとも (Soretomo)
Meaning & Usage

✨ Basic Meaning

‘Or’, ‘or else’ (used to connect two alternative questions).

🎯 Primary Function

Connecting two independent questions or clauses to present a choice to the listener.

📋 Grammar Structure

[Clause A] か、それとも [Clause B] か
[Clause A (i-adj)] か、それとも [Clause B] か
[Clause A (na-adj)] か、それとも [Clause B] か
[Clause A] か、それとも [Clause B] ではないか

🎭 Usage Contexts

🏢 Formal Situations

Very common in business or polite inquiries where choices must be clearly presented.

😊 Informal Situations

Used, but often shortened to just ‘ka’ or ‘soreka’ in very casual speech. ‘Soretomo’ sounds slightly more deliberate.

✍️ Written Language

Used in questionnaires, emails, and formal literature to present alternatives.

🗣️ Spoken Language

Frequent in service industries (restaurants, shops) and interviews.

💡 Common Applications

Choosing between two objects
Used when offering two distinct items to someone.
Example: コーヒーにしますか、それとも紅茶にしますか。
Choosing between two actions
Used to ask which course of action someone will take.
Example: 行きますか、それともやめますか。
Inquiring about states or identities
Used to clarify the nature or truth of a situation.
Example: 本物ですか、それとも偽物ですか。
📊
Frequency
Commonly used in both spoken and written Japanese when providing clear alternatives.
🎚️
Difficulty
JLPT N3
Tag:

Related Kanji

JLPT N3 Kanji List

Related Vocabulary

JLPT N3 Vocabulary List
Example Sentences
Example #1
コーヒーにしますか、それとも紅茶にしますか。
Furigana: コーヒーにしますか、それともこうちゃにしますか。
Romaji: Kōhī ni shimasu ka, soretomo kōcha ni shimasu ka?
English: Would you like coffee, or would you like tea?
Example #2
電車で行きますか、それともバスで行きますか。
Furigana: でんしゃでいきますか、それともバスでいきますか。
Romaji: Densha de ikimasu ka, soretomo basu de ikimasu ka?
English: Are you going by train, or are you going by bus?
Example #3
彼は日本人ですか、それとも中国人ですか。
Furigana: かれはにほんじんですか、それともちゅうごくじんですか。
Romaji: Kare wa nihonjin desu ka, soretomo chūgokujin desu ka?
English: Is he Japanese, or is he Chinese?
Example #4
今すぐ出発しますか、それとも少し休みますか。
Furigana: いますぐしゅっぱつしますか、それともすこしやすみますか。
Romaji: Ima sugu shuppatsu shimasu ka, soretomo sukoshi yasumimasu ka?
English: Will you leave right now, or will you rest for a bit?
Example #5
自分で作りますか、それとも外食しますか。
Furigana: じぶんでつくりますか、それともがいしょくしますか。
Romaji: Jibun de tsukurimasu ka, soretomo gaishoku shimasu ka?
English: Will you cook it yourself, or will you eat out?
Example #6
明日は雨ですか、それとも晴れですか。
Furigana: あしたはあめですか、それともはれですか。
Romaji: Ashita wa ame desu ka, soretomo hare desu ka?
English: Will it be rainy tomorrow, or will it be sunny?
Example #7
現金で払いますか、それともクレジットカードですか。
Furigana: げんきんではらいますか、それともクレジットカードですか。
Romaji: Genkin de haraimasu ka, soretomo kurejitto kādo desu ka?
English: Will you pay in cash, or by credit card?
Example #8
結婚しますか、それとも独身のままですか。
Furigana: けっこんしますか、それともどくしんのままですか。
Romaji: Kekkon shimasu ka, soretomo dokushin no mama desu ka?
English: Will you get married, or will you stay single?
Example #9
成功するか、それとも失敗するか、まだ分からない。
Furigana: せいこうするか、それともしっぱいするか、まだわからない。
Romaji: Seikō suru ka, soretomo shippai suru ka, mada wakaranai.
English: Whether we will succeed or fail, we don’t know yet.
Example #10
この申し出を受けますか、それとも断りますか。
Furigana: このもうしでをうけますか、それともことわりますか。
Romaji: Kono mōshide o ukemasu ka, soretomo kotowarimasu ka?
English: Will you accept this offer, or will you refuse it?
Notes & Nuances

📌 Important Points

Must be used with ‘ka’ or a question marker.
It is almost always preceded by the question particle ‘ka’ in the first clause.
Example: 明日は雨かな、それとも晴れるかな。
Exclusively for alternative questions.
It cannot be used in a regular statement (e.g., ‘I will eat bread or rice’ – use ‘ka’ or ‘aruiwa’ instead). It is for questions.
Example: 彼は行くか、それとも行かないか。

⚠️ Common Mistakes

❌ コーヒー それとも 紅茶が好きですか。 (Using it like the English ‘or’ between nouns without the ‘ka’ structure)
✅ Aか、それともBか？
‘Soretomo’ is used for choosing between two questions, whereas ‘ka’ is a particle for choosing between two nouns within one question.

🏛️ Cultural Context

Politeness Level: Neutral to polite. It is appropriate for almost all social settings.
Social Situations: Essential for clarifying decisions in professional and social environments.
Regional Variations: Standard Japanese. Most regions use it similarly.

🔍 Subtle Differences

それとも vs. または (matawa)
‘Soretomo’ is used for alternative questions, while ‘matawa’ is used for statements and listing possibilities.
When to use: Use ‘Soretomo’ when asking a question; use ‘Matawa’ for ‘A or B’ in a statement.
それとも vs. あるいは (aruiwa)
‘Aruiwa’ is more formal and often used to suggest ‘perhaps’ or ‘or possibly.’
When to use: Use ‘Soretomo’ for direct choices; use ‘Aruiwa’ in formal writing or to show a secondary possibility.

📝 Conjugation Notes

‘Soretomo’ is a conjunction and does not conjugate. It always appears at the beginning of the second option/clause.

🔊 Pronunciation Tips

The pitch is usually flat, but the sentence ending with ‘ka’ before it often has a rising intonation.

🧠 Memory Tips

Think of ‘Soretomo’ as ‘Sore’ (That) + ‘to’ (and/if) + ‘mo’ (also), literally meaning ‘And if it’s that…?’ or ‘Or even that…?’

Other Grammar

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