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N3 — outside your level filter

あるいは

あるいはaruiwaN3formal

or; alternatively — and, standing before a whole sentence, "possibly"

ご質問しつもんは電話でんわ、あるいはメールでお寄よせください。

go shitsumon wa denwa, aruiwa meeru de oyose kudasai.

Please send your questions by telephone or by e-mail. formal

あの様子ようすでは、あるいは彼かれはもう知しっているのかもしれない。

ano yousu de wa, aruiwa kare wa mou shitte iru no kamo shirenai.

Judging by how he looked, it may well be that he already knows. neutral

All examples4

or; alternatively — two candidates sit side by side, either may hold

  1. ご質問しつもんは電話でんわ、あるいはメールでお寄よせください。

    go shitsumon wa denwa, aruiwa meeru de oyose kudasai.

    Please send your questions by telephone or by e-mail. formal

  2. この問題もんだいは法律ほうりつの面めんから、あるいは経済けいざいの面めんから論ろんじることができる。

    kono mondai wa houritsu no men kara, aruiwa keizai no men kara ronjiru koto ga dekiru.

    This problem can be discussed from a legal angle, or alternatively from an economic one. neutral

possibly; it may even be that — puts forward one live possibility

  1. あの様子ようすでは、あるいは彼かれはもう知しっているのかもしれない。

    ano yousu de wa, aruiwa kare wa mou shitte iru no kamo shirenai.

    Judging by how he looked, it may well be that he already knows. neutral

  2. 交渉こうしょうは難むずかしいが、あるいは来月らいげつ中ちゅうにまとまるだろう。

    koushou wa muzukashii ga, aruiwa raigetsu chuu ni matomaru darou.

    The negotiations are difficult, but they may possibly come together within next month. neutral

How it's formed2

Notes

In the "possibly" reading the sentence ends in かもしれない or だろう — あるいは
sets up the guess and something at the end of the sentence has to complete it.