Multiple verbs without implying that they all happen, "or"


I would like to translate the following sentence. I am in particular having
trouble with the portion in bold.

> You should **eat or drink** something sweet before exercising.

How does one list multiple actions without implying that they are all
occurring?

My likely non-sensible guesses are as below:

> 運動する前には甘いものを **食べたり飲んだり** したほうがいいです。
>
> 運動する前には甘いものを **食べか飲みした** ほうがいいです。

You could probably replace "eat or drink" with something like "consume," but I
am looking for a construct that I can extend to other similar situations as
well.

For example:

> I either kill or get killed.
>
> I would be crushed if you were to die or get severely injured.




> "You should eat or drink something sweet before exercising."

can be said as:

> 「[運動]{うんどう}する[前]{まえ}には、（なにか）[甘]{あま}いものを[食]{た}べるか[飲]{の}むか **したほうが** いいです。」

In other words, I just used the common construct:

> 「Verb A + **か** + Verb B + **か** + **する** 」

and changed 「する」 to 「した」 to go with 「ほうがいい」.

In real life, as you said yourself, one might just use "to consume" instead of
using two verbs 食べる and 飲む. That shorter sentence would be:

> 「運動する前には、（なにか）甘いものを[摂]{と}ったほうがいいです。」

(The first one of your pair of sentences is ungrammatical with the redundant
「食べたりしたりした」 part. The 「したり」 part would need to be dropped. The second sentence
is also ungrammatical. We do not say either 「食べか」 or 「飲みした」 to mean anything,
but it was a nice attempt.

As far as grammar, you could say 「食べたり飲んだりしたほうがいい」, but if you did, it would
sound as if you were saying one should take a long time consuming a fairly
**large amount** of food and drink. Native speakers would tend to think of
something meal-size upon hearing/reading that phrase.)

Finally, your examples at the bottom.

「（おれは）やる **か** やられる **か** だ。」 I know I went slangy here, but I just could not
go textbookish with something like "I either kill or get killed.", could I?

「[君]{きみ}が[死]{し}んだり[大]{おお}けが（を）したりしたら、ボクは[打]{う}ちひしがれるだろう。」

In this sentence 「したりしたら」 is completely fine because we are using the phrase
「大けが（を）する」. It is different from the ungrammatical 「食べたりしたりした」 that I
mentioned above.




> "You should eat or drink something sweet before exercising."

can be said as:

> 「[運動]{うんどう}する[前]{まえ}には、（なにか）[甘]{あま}いものを[食]{た}べるか[飲]{の}むか **したほうが** いいです。」

In other words, I just used the common construct:

> 「Verb A + **か** + Verb B + **か** + **する** 」

and changed 「する」 to 「した」 to go with 「ほうがいい」.

In real life, as you said yourself, one might just use "to consume" instead of
using two verbs 食べる and 飲む. That shorter sentence would be:

> 「運動する前には、（なにか）甘いものを[摂]{と}ったほうがいいです。」

(The first one of your pair of sentences is ungrammatical with the redundant
「食べたりしたりした」 part. The 「したり」 part would need to be dropped. The second sentence
is also ungrammatical. We do not say either 「食べか」 or 「飲みした」 to mean anything,
but it was a nice attempt.

As far as grammar, you could say 「食べたり飲んだりしたほうがいい」, but if you did, it would
sound as if you were saying one should take a long time consuming a fairly
**large amount** of food and drink. Native speakers would tend to think of
something meal-size upon hearing/reading that phrase.)

Finally, your examples at the bottom.

「（おれは）やる **か** やられる **か** だ。」 I know I went slangy here, but I just could not
go textbookish with something like "I either kill or get killed.", could I?

「[君]{きみ}が[死]{し}んだり[大]{おお}けが（を）したりしたら、ボクは[打]{う}ちひしがれるだろう。」

In this sentence 「したりしたら」 is completely fine because we are using the phrase
「大けが（を）する」. It is different from the ungrammatical 「食べたりしたりした」 that I
mentioned above.

