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又は (または) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

または

ま

た

は

Common wordJLPTN4Freq.FrequencyTop 2,000

Meanings

1

conjunction

or; either ... or ...

usually written using kana alone

Used to present alternatives between nouns, phrases, or clauses. More formal than か, and common in both spoken and written Japanese.

コーヒーまたは紅こう茶ちゃはいかがですか。
Would you like coffee or tea?
電でん

話わ

また

は

メール

で

ご

連れん

絡らく

ください

。

Please contact us by phone or email.

Kanji

又or again, furthermore, on the other hand

Similar words

か
か is a more casual and concise alternative marker, often used in embedded questions or informal lists, while または is clearer and more formal for presenting distinct options.
あるいは
あるいは is similar in meaning but slightly more literary or emphatic; または is more common in everyday instructions and neutral statements.

Etymology

Compound of the kanji 又 (mata, 'again, also') and the particle は (wa, topic marker), originally meaning 'as for the other'. The kana spelling または is now standard.