LESSON NOTES · レッスンノート

N4Grammar, one piece at a time · Sep 17, 2026 · Updated Sep 27, 2026 · by Yuuki

Or in Japanese: か vs それとも vs または (Which to Use)

Or in Japanese maps to several expressions: か links alternatives (コーヒーか紅茶こうちゃ), それとも introduces another option in a question (コーヒーですか、それとも紅茶こうちゃですか), and または is mainly for written or formal instructions.

This article covers "or" for alternatives and choices only, not "or else" (さもないと) or "or rather" (というより). The word that catches learners out is それと: it looks like それとも but means "and."

How do you say "or" in Japanese?

か: the everyday "or" between nouns

帰かえりにコーヒーか紅茶こうちゃ(こうちゃ)を買かいます。 — I'll buy coffee or tea on the way home. (polite, stating a plan) コーヒーでも紅茶こうちゃでもいいです。 — Coffee or tea, either is fine. (polite, saying you do not mind) 土曜日どようびか日曜日にちようびに行いきましょう。 — Let's go on Saturday or Sunday. (polite, making plans)

In this basic pattern, put the shared particle after the whole か group, not after each item: コーヒーか紅茶こうちゃを買かいます, not コーヒーをか紅茶こうちゃを買かいます. Other constructions can carry particles inside the alternatives. With a context like "where will you leave from?", 東京とうきょうから出発しゅっぱつ(しゅっぱつ)するか、大阪おおさかから出発しゅっぱつするか、まだ決きめていません ("I haven't decided whether to leave from Tokyo or from Osaka") is natural.

You can also put か after both items: コーヒーか紅茶こうちゃか迷めい(まよ)っています ("I can't decide between coffee and tea"). For the verbs of deciding, see decide in Japanese.

それとも: another option in a question or an unresolved choice

それとも is what you reach for when someone is choosing. It needs two options set against each other: コーヒーか、それとも紅茶こうちゃか. The two sides can be full questions, or they can be shortened.

土曜日どようびに行いきますか、それとも日曜日にちようびに行いきますか。 — Will you go on Saturday, or on Sunday? (polite, a neutral choice question) コーヒー? それとも紅茶こうちゃ? — Coffee? Or tea? (casual, shortened alternatives) コーヒーにしますか、紅茶こうちゃにしますか。 — Coffee, or tea? (polite, それとも omitted, also natural) 出でかけるか、それとも家いえにいるか、迷まよっています。 — I can't decide whether to go out or stay home. (polite, an embedded choice, not a question to anyone)

The last sentence is not a question to anyone, and それとも still fits, because the choice is unresolved and two options are set against each other. それとも can be omitted in a choice question, as in the third line. What it does not do is replace か in a plain statement that joins two nouns. 犬いぬそれとも猫ねこを飼かいたいです is wrong; 犬いぬか猫ねこを飼し(か)いたいです is right.

Who chooses what, and why それと is not それとも

それとも offers a choice ("or"); それと adds one more item ("and"). The test: are you adding something (それと) or choosing between things (それとも)? One café shows both, with four roles.

コーヒーをください。 — Coffee, please. (the customer orders) コーヒーにしますか、それとも紅茶こうちゃにしますか。 — Will you have coffee, or tea? (the staff offers a choice) コーヒーにするか紅茶こうちゃにするか、迷まよっています。 — I can't decide between coffee and tea. (the customer is undecided) コーヒー、それとケーキもください。 — Coffee, and cake too, please. (the customer adds an item)

Swapping それと for それとも in the last line does not give you a working order. To ask for a recommendation, say コーヒーと紅茶こうちゃなら、どちらがおすすめですか ("between coffee and tea, which do you recommend?").

または: the written one

ペンまたは鉛筆えんぴつ(えんぴつ)で書かいてください。 — Please write with a pen or a pencil. (formal, written instructions)

または is common on forms, signs and in manuals, and it is used in speech as well. With friends, か is usually more conversational.

Are あるいは and もしくは just fancier versions of "or"?

Both can express alternatives, but their uses are not identical. Both are more formal than か. あるいは is slightly literary, showing up in essays and analysis. もしくは has a legal and administrative register; in documents it often sits next to または to mark nested choices.

電話でんわ、あるいはメールでご連絡れんらく(れんらく)ください。 — Please contact us by phone or email. (formal, business) 現金げんきんもしくはカードでお支払しはらいください。 — Please pay by cash or card. (formal, notices and forms)

For everyday conversation, learn か and それとも first.

How do you say "or something like that" in Japanese?

Use 〜とか. It presents examples rather than an exhaustive list, and it can follow one example or several.

お茶ちゃとかコーヒーとか、何なにか飲のむ? — Tea, coffee, something like that: want a drink? (casual, friends) 土曜どようとか、どう? — Saturday or something, how about it? (casual, floating an idea)

English handles this with "or something." とか softens a suggestion by implying you are not fixed on the specific thing you named. It attaches to nouns and verbs alike. 〜たり〜たり also lists example actions, but it connects them in a different way.

What about "or" between two actions, not two things?

Before expressions such as 迷まよっています or 決きめていません, you can mark each alternative with か: 映画えいがを見みるか、散歩さんぽ(さんぽ)に行いくか、まだ決きめていません. 行いくか行いかないか ("whether I'll go or not") is the same shape with a yes/no pair.

〜か〜か: when both options are verbs or clauses

行いくか行いかないか、まだ決きめていません。 — I haven't decided yet whether I'll go or not. (polite, reporting indecision) 映画えいがを見みるか、散歩さんぽに行いくか、まだ決きめていません。 — I haven't decided whether to watch a movie or go for a walk. (polite, two different actions)

Note that the sentence is polite (決きめていません), but the verbs inside it stay in plain form: 行いく, not 行いきます. 行いきますか行いきませんか、まだ決きめていません is wrong.

Embedded "whether" can also be expressed with 〜かどうか. 行いくかどうか分わかりません means "I don't know whether I'm going." 〜かどうか leaves the negative alternative unstated; 〜か〜ないか states both explicitly.

Is 行いきませんか an "or not" question?

行いきませんか is typically an invitation, especially with 一緒いっしょに. To check a negative expectation, Japanese more often says 明日あしたは行いかないんですか ("so, you're not going tomorrow?"). See ましょう and ませんか for the full invitation ladder.

一緒いっしょに行いきませんか。 — Would you like to come along? (polite invitation) 行いきますか、行いきませんか。 — Are you coming or not? (grammatically polite, but it can sound pressuring)

The second explicitly presses for a yes-or-no decision, so it can sound impatient.

Short choices in dramatic lines

か works in tense scenes as well. The two lines below are invented examples, not quotes from any series.

戦せん(たたか)うか、逃とう(に)げるか。 — Fight or flee? (dramatic, invented example) 助たすけに行いきましょうか。それとも待まちましょうか。 — Shall we go and help, or wait? (polite, invented example)

Common mistakes

  • Assuming か always means "or." Sentence-final か is the question marker: 行いきますか is "are you going?", not "going or...". Position decides the job.
  • Using そして or それから for "or." Both add information. そして紅茶こうちゃ adds tea; it does not offer it as an alternative.
  • Treating または as wrong in speech. It is used in speech too, just more at home in writing.

The other slips (a doubled particle, それとも between plain nouns, それと for それとも) are covered above and in the practice below.

Which "or" do I use?

Situation Word Example
Between two nouns, speaking か コーヒーか紅茶こうちゃ
Another option in a question or unresolved choice それとも 土曜日どようびに行いきますか、それとも日曜日にちようびに行いきますか
Shortened alternatives それとも コーヒー? それとも紅茶こうちゃ?
In writing, forms, signs または ペンまたは鉛筆えんぴつ
Formal speech or essays あるいは / もしくは 電話でんわあるいはメール
Casual, "or something like that" 〜とか お茶ちゃとかコーヒーとか
Between two verb clauses 〜か〜か 行いくか行いかないか
Adding, not choosing それと コーヒー、それとケーキ

Practice

1. Say politely: "I'll eat rice or bread for breakfast."

Show answer

朝あさごはんにごはんかパンを食たべます。 — か goes between the nouns, and を goes once, after the whole group.

2. Say "let's meet on Monday or Tuesday next week."

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来週らいしゅうの月曜日げつようびか火曜日かようびに会あいましょう。 — に attaches after the か group, not to each day.

3. Ask politely: "will you go today, or tomorrow?"

Show answer

今日きょう行いきますか、それとも明日あした行いきますか。 — それとも introduces the second option in the question.

4. At a café, as the customer: "tea, and a sandwich too, please."

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お茶ちゃ、それとサンドイッチもください。 — それと adds. それとも does not work as a replacement here.

5. At a café, as the staff: "will you have rice, or bread?"

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ごはんにしますか、それともパンにしますか。 — それとも offers the choice.

6. Write a form instruction: "please write with a black or blue pen."

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黒くろまたは青あおのペンで書かいてください。 — または is the written register. In casual speech you would say 黒くろか青あおのペン.

7. Say casually: "ramen, curry, something like that: want to eat?"

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ラーメンとかカレーとか、何なにか食たべる? — とか presents examples and keeps the list open.

8. Say politely: "I haven't decided whether I'll eat or not."

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食たべるか食たべないか、まだ決きめていません。 — か after each plain-form clause, even though the sentence is polite.

9. Fix this sentence: 映画えいがそれともドラマを見みたいです。

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映画えいがかドラマを見みたいです。 — This is a plain statement joining two nouns, so use か.

10. Fix this sentence: 本ほんをか雑誌ざっしを買かいたいです。

Show answer

本ほんか雑誌ざっしを買かいたいです。 — In this basic pattern the か group takes one particle, at the end.

Reading the table is the easy part; choosing between それとも and それと while someone waits for your order is harder, so bring a few ordering scenes to a trial lesson and say them out loud with me.

FAQ

Can I use か between three or more nouns? Yes: コーヒーか紅茶こうちゃかジュース. In コーヒーか紅茶こうちゃかジュースか迷まよっています, the list expresses the choice you are considering.

Does 〜とか always mean "or"? Not exactly. It presents examples, which covers both "and" and "or" depending on context. お茶ちゃとかコーヒーとか飲のみました gives examples of what you drank; it does not specify how many drinks you had. お茶ちゃとかコーヒーとか飲のむ? offers a choice. The listener decides from context.

Why does か mean both "or" and the question marker? As a learning aid, you can connect both uses with an unresolved question or choice. Grammatically, sentence-final か and the か linking alternatives have different functions.

How do I say "either A or B"? Add どちらか: コーヒーか紅茶こうちゃのどちらかにします ("I'll have either coffee or tea").

How do I say "neither A nor B"? Use も…も with a negative verb: コーヒーも紅茶こうちゃも飲のみません ("I drink neither coffee nor tea").

Vocabulary from this article

Tap the block to select all of it, then copy. In Anki: File → Import, note type Basic, separator Tab — the first column becomes the front, the second the back.

それとも	それとも — or (another option in a question or choice)
それと	それと — and, also (adding an item)
または	または — or (written, formal)
あるいは	あるいは — or (formal, literary)
もしくは	もしくは — or (legal, administrative)
紅茶	こうちゃ — black tea
お茶	おちゃ — tea, green tea
鉛筆	えんぴつ — pencil
土曜日	どようび — Saturday
日曜日	にちようび — Sunday
決める	きめる — to decide
迷う	まよう — to be undecided
連絡	れんらく — contact, getting in touch
一緒に	いっしょに — together
犬	いぬ — dog
猫	ねこ — cat
飼う	かう — to keep (a pet)
映画	えいが — movie
雑誌	ざっし — magazine
書く	かく — to write
飲む	のむ — to drink
散歩	さんぽ — walk, stroll
そして	そして — and (connecting or adding)
出発	しゅっぱつ — departure, leaving
戦う	たたかう — to fight
逃げる	にげる — to flee

I'm Yuuki, a Japanese teacher based in Tokyo. I've taught on italki as a Top 1% teacher and watched over 1,500 anime. それと and それとも is a mix-up I see often in ordering practice: learners who have the grammar clear still reach for the wrong one under time pressure at an imaginary counter.

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Sources: the author's own lessons and standard reference grammars.

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