Spanish · B1 · Everyday language
Choose What Works in Spanish
This guide focuses on helping parents offer clear choices to children using the 'either... or' structure in Spanish. By using paired coordination, you can empower children to make decisions while maintaining structure in their daily routine.
What you'll learn
- Understand how to use 'o... o' to present two exclusive options.
- Practice coordinating nouns, adverbs, and full clauses.
- Learn to express family plans and domestic choices naturally in Spanish.
Spanish phrases for choose what works
Puedes empacar o una manzana o una pera.
You can pack either an apple or a pear.
Uses 'o... o' to coordinate two simple nouns.
Podemos quedar o en la puerta del colegio o junto al parque infantil.
We can meet either at the school gate or beside the playground.
Coordinates two prepositional phrases of place.
O paso a recogerte yo, o papá te traerá caminando a casa.
Either I will collect you, or Dad will walk you home.
Coordinates two independent clauses for different scenarios.
Puedes hacer tu práctica de lectura o antes de cenar o después de cenar.
You can do your reading practice either before dinner or after dinner.
Coordinates time-based adverbs.
O tu amiga puede venir aquí, o tú puedes jugar en su casa.
Either your friend can come here, or you can play at her house.
Shows a choice between two social arrangements.
Puedes gastar tu paga o en un cómic o en unas pegatinas.
You can spend your pocket money on either a comic or some stickers.
'Paga' is commonly used for pocket money/allowance.
Podemos o caminar al entrenamiento de fútbol o ir en autobús.
We can either walk to football practice or take the bus.
Coordinates two different methods of transport.
O metes los deberes en la mochila ahora, o los revisamos juntos tras el desayuno.
Either you put your homework in your bag now, or we check it together after breakfast.
A polite way to set expectations and consequences.
Hear these phrases and practise them
Tildi plays every phrase out loud, tests you in five-minute lessons and builds them into bedtime stories from your own picture books.
Try it free for 7 daysKey words
Paga
Pocket money / Allowance
Commonly used in Spain for children's money.
Entrenamiento
Practice / Training
Used for sports sessions like football or basketball.
Recoger / Pasar a buscar
To pick up / To collect
Common verbs for picking children up from school.
Pegatinas
Stickers
A favorite treat for young children.
Paired Coordination with 'o... o'
In Spanish, the equivalent of 'either... or' is simply repeating the word 'o' (or). While the first 'o' is sometimes omitted in English, including it in Spanish adds clarity and emphasizes that a choice must be made between two alternatives.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Structure | o [Option A] o [Option B] | O leche o zumo. (Either milk or juice.) |
| With Verbs | o [Verb 1] o [Verb 2] | O comes o te vas a dormir. (Either eat or go to sleep.) |
| Formal Alternative | o bien... o bien | O bien caminamos, o bien vamos en coche. |
More examples
¿Prefieres o el azul o el rojo?
Do you prefer either the blue one or the red one?
Using the structure for simple color choices.
O terminas la sopa ahora, o no habrá postre.
Either you finish the soup now, or there will be no dessert.
A classic parental conditional choice.