How to tell them apart
The core split is register and what they connect. それとも joins two full questions or clauses (先生ですか それとも 医者ですか) and is the everyday spoken choice. または, あるいは, and もしくは are written-style connectives for noun phrases or clauses, with もしくは the most stiff and legalistic. Swapping それとも into a legal document or もしくは into casual speech sounds off.
- それとも Use それとも when you are asking or stating an alternative in everyday speech.
- または Use または to connect two noun-phrase choices or possibilities in formal writing.
- あるいは Use あるいは to present an alternative or possibility in a somewhat formal context.
- もしくは Use もしくは in stiff, official, or legal writing to link two items.
| Grammar point | Meaning | JLPT level |
|---|---|---|
| それとも soretomo | Or; or else (presenting alternative) | N4 |
| または mataha | Or; either ~ or ~ | N2 |
| あるいは aruiha | Or; either ~ or; alternatively; perhaps | N3 |
| もしくは moshikuha | Or; either ~ or (formal written) | N2 |
それとも soretomo
Or; or else (presenting alternative)
Or; either ~ or ~ | A coordinate conjunction which connects two alternatives expressed by sentences.
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あの人は先生ですか。それとも医者ですか。
Is he a teacher or a doctor?
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この本が間違っているか(それとも)私が間違っているかどちらだ・です。
It's either that this book is wrong or that I am wrong.
または mataha
Or; either ~ or ~
Or; either ~ or ~ | A conjunction which connects two choices or possibilities expressed by noun phrases or sentences.
-
三年以下の 懲役(か)、または百万円以下の 罰金。
Imprisonment up to three years or a penalty up to one million yen.
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二週間前に出したはずの手紙がまだ 先方に 着いていない。私の 秘書が出し忘れたか、または郵便局が間違えたのだろう。
A letter that I assumed was mailed two weeks ago has not reached the addressee yet. It is probably that my secretary forgot to mail it or that the post office made a mistake.
あるいは aruiha
Or; either ~ or; alternatively; perhaps
or; either ~ or; perhaps | A conjunction that marks alternatives
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この会社は大規模なリストラをするか、あるいは、倒産するかしかない。
The only choice left for this company is to execute a large-scale restructuring or else go bankrupt.
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ご注文は電話か、あるいはインターネットでお願いします。
Please place your order either by phone or by Internet.
もしくは moshikuha
Or; either ~ or (formal written)
or | A conjunction to disjunctively connect two items or ideas.
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この予算は研究費、もしくは研究補助費にのみ使用できる。
This budget is to be used exclusively for research or research-related expenses.
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この申込書は本人(か)、もしくは保証人が記入しなければならない。
This application has to be filled in by the applicant or by his/her guarantor.
それとも and または and あるいは and もしくは are JLPT N4–N2 grammar points that Japanese learners often mix up. This page compares all 4 side by side — meanings, usage and example sentences — so you can tell them apart.