あるいは (aruiwa) Meaning Japanese Grammar - Or

The Japanese conjunction あるいは (aruiwa) is typically used to express the idea of or in a choice or list of options.

あるいは is most commonly used in formal or written contexts, since it may sound more literary or stiff in casual conversation.

How to say "or" in Japanese

Here are some alternatives to あるいは and when you might use them instead:

• または (matawa) - This is another term that can be used as a disjunctive conjunction, to express or and is generally more commonly used than あるいは in everyday speech

• または is generally transcribed in Hiragana, but for official texts the transcription in Kanji is preferred: 又(また)は (matawa).

• か (ka) - This is a more casual way to express or, and is often used in conversation or informal writing.

• それとも (soretomo) - This expression can be used to suggest a choice between two options, and is often used in more complex sentences to express a contrast or alternative.
• 〜であるか、〜であるか (~de aru ka, ~de aru ka) - This is a more formal way to express either ... or, and is often used in legal or academic writing.

In general, the choice of which word to use depends on the context, register, and personal preference.

あるいは (aruiwa) is often used in formal or written contexts, while または (matawa) is more commonly used in everyday speech.

か (ka) is a casual way to express or, while それとも (soretomo) is used to suggest a choice between two options.

Finally, 〜であるか、〜であるか (~de aru ka, ~de aru ka) is the most formal way to express either ... or.

Examples sentences using あるいは

Here is the poster of a 2022 Korean thriller also shown in Japan:

The title published in English is: "Confession".