选项

• Pinyin: xuǎn xiàng
• Hanzi breakdown: 选 = 辶 + 巽 (selecting/choosing); 项 = 工 (work/craft) + 页 (page/head) — an item listed on a page

Meaning

Option; choice; alternative. An item in a list of possibilities from which a selection is to be made.

Used in examinations, software interfaces, decision-making, and formal discussions. In academic testing refers to answer options (选项A, 选项B). In business and technology refers to configuration options or menu items.

Examples

1. 这道选择题共有四个选项，其中只有一个是正确答案，考生须仔细辨别，不可草率作答。 This multiple-choice question has four options, and only one is correct. Test-takers must distinguish carefully and not answer rashly.
2. 在软件设置页面，用户可根据个人需求，从多个选项中自由配置界面语言与显示方式。 On the software settings page, users can configure the interface language and display style freely from multiple options based on their needs.
3. 谈判代表在拟定协议文本时，为每一项争议条款都列出了多个备选选项以便双方协商取舍。 When drafting the agreement, the negotiators listed multiple alternative options for each disputed clause so both sides could discuss and choose.

Usage Guide

Context: education, technology, business, daily life

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 请从以下三个选项中选出最符合题目要求的那一个，并在答题卡上填涂相应的字母。(Please select from the following three options the one that best meets the requirements of the question, and mark the corresponding letter on the answer sheet.)
• 系统提供了多种支付选项，用户可根据个人习惯选择微信支付、支付宝或银行卡转账。(The system provides multiple payment options; users can choose WeChat Pay, Alipay, or bank card transfer according to their personal habits.)

Don't Say

• 我午餐有很多选项的感觉 — 选项 is a formal or semi-formal term for listed items from which a choice is made; for having many things to choose from at lunch use 菜色很多 or 吃的选择很多; 选项 sounds awkward and overly formal for casual everyday meals

Origin & History

选 (to select) + 项 (item/entry)

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal