与否

• Pinyin: yǔ fǒu
• Hanzi breakdown: 与 = with/and (originally depicted two hands together); 否 = 不 + 口 (not + mouth — negation, saying 'no')

Meaning

Whether or not; yes or no. A formal suffix appended to a verb or adjective to form a choice question or indirect question about whether something is the case.

A classical and formal suffix used in written Chinese. Always follows a predicate (verb or adjective) to form a binary question or conditional clause: 成功与否 (whether or not one succeeds), 正确与否 (whether it is correct or not). More formal and literary than 是否 (whether or not) or 有没有 (whether there is). Common in legal documents, academic writing, formal speeches, and policy texts.

Examples

1. 问题不在文本本身，而在基层政府是否配合，以及配合与否背后的利益结构。 The issue is not the text itself, but whether local governments cooperate and the interests behind that cooperation or lack of it.
2. 法庭要裁定的，不是被告是否实施行为，而是行为是否构成犯罪、故意与否能否证明。 What the court must decide is not whether the defendant acted, but whether the conduct constitutes a crime and whether intent can be proven.
3. 历史学家更看重领导人判断力与否、关键时刻的抉择能力，以及整合多元利益的本事。 Historians value whether a leader has judgment, the ability to make the right choices at critical moments, and the skill to balance diverse interests.

Usage Guide

Context: legal, academic, policy, logic, formal writing

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 这场政策争论的分歧不在透明度，而在强制披露范围和违规不披露处罚与否。(In this policy debate, the disagreement is not over transparency itself, but over the scope of mandatory disclosure and whether to punish non-disclosure violations.)
• 内部审计能否遏制关联交易，关键看审计委员会独立与否，以及外审是否摆脱商业利益影响。(Whether internal audits can curb related-party transactions depends mainly on whether the audit committee is independent and whether external auditors can escape commercial interests.)

Don't Say

• 我不知道去与否 — while not incorrect, this formal classical structure sounds stiff in casual conversation; use 我不知道该不该去 (I don't know whether I should go) or 我不确定要不要去 (I'm not sure whether to go) in everyday speech

Origin & History

与 (and/with) + 否 (no/not — 不 not + 口 mouth; speaking negation). Together: and its negation; whether or not. A classical binary structure posing a question between two poles.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal