还是…吧【háishi … ba】

还是 before a verb phrase means "had better" or "after all". The speaker has thought about the choices and come down on one. 吧 at the end keeps it a suggestion.

Often there was another plan, and 还是 changes it: "on second thoughts".

还是…好 states the conclusion rather than suggesting it.

还是 or 最好

最好 gives advice from outside: "you'd best". 还是 tells you the speaker weighed the options and chose. 你最好早点儿走 is advice; 你还是早点儿走吧 sounds like the end of a discussion.

"Better not": 别

When you tell someone else not to do something, the negative is 别. 不 goes with your own decisions: 我还是不去了.

• × 你还是不去吧 → 你还是别去了

还是 in a question

Between two choices in a question, 还是 means "or": 你喝茶还是喝咖啡？ That is the same word in a different job; in a statement with 吧 it is "had better".