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ChineseGrammarWiki


			
				
					
						
						
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  <h1></h1>

  <p>Colloquially, <span class="hanzi">要不</span> (<span class="pinyin">yàobù</span>) can be used for making suggestions, like how we use "<a href="how_about" title="wikilink">how about</a>" in English.</p>

  <h2>Contents</h2>

  <ol>
    <li>Structure<br/></li>

    <li>Examples<br/></li>

    <li>See also<br/></li>

    <li>Sources and further reading<br/></li>

    <ol>
      <li>Books<br/></li>
    </ol>
  </ol>

  <h2 id="structure">Structure</h2>

  <p><span style="color: rgb(139, 0, 0); font-family: NotoSansCJKsc; font-size: 22px;">要不</span> can be used as an indirect way of giving a suggestion, as the speaker is using <span class="hanzi">要不</span> to seek consent of the listener. (Once again, <span class="hanzi">要么</span> can be used similarly.) When using <span class="hanzi">要不</span> in this way, it can come either at the beginning of the sentence, or in the middle, after explaining the situation.</p>

  <div>
    <div class="deux">
      Reason / Situation ，<span class="hanzist">要不</span> + Option B + <span style="color: rgb(255, 127, 80); font-family: NotoSansCJKsc; font-size: 30px;">吧</span>
    </div>
  </div>

  <p>or</p>

  <div>
    <div class="deux">
      <span style="color: rgb(255, 127, 80); font-family: NotoSansCJKsc; font-size: 30px;">要不</span> + Option B + <span class="hanzist">吧</span> ，Reason / Situation
    </div>
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  <h2 id="examples">Examples</h2>

  <div class="exemple">
    <ul>
      <li><span class="hanzi">要不 我们 一起 去 吧 ，一个人 去 没 意思 。</span> <span class="pinyin">Yàobù wǒmen yīqǐ qù ba, yīgèrén qù méi yìsi.</span><br/><span> How about we go together? It's no fun to go by myself.</span></li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">挺 好吃 的 ，要不 你 尝尝 ？</span> <span class="pinyin">Tǐng hǎochī de, yàobù nǐ chángchang?</span><br/><span> It's tasty. Would you like to taste it?</span></li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">要不 我们 换 个 地方 吧 ，这里 太 吵 了 。</span> <span class="pinyin">Yàobù wǒmen huàn gè dìfang ba, zhèlǐ tài chǎo le.</span><br/><span> How about we go to somewhere else? It's too loud here.</span></li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">要不 你 先 走 吧 ，我 还没 做完 。</span> <span class="pinyin">Yàobù nǐ xiān zǒu bā, wǒ hái méi zuò wán.</span><br/><span> How about you go first? I haven't finished yet.</span></li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">下雨 了，要不 明天 去 吧 。</span> <span class="pinyin">Xiàyǔ le, yàobù míngtiān qù ba.</span><br/><span> It's raining. How about we go tomorrow?</span></li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">走路 去 挺 远 的，要不 我 开车 送 你 去 吧 。</span> <span class="pinyin">Zǒulù qù tǐng yuǎn de, yàobù wǒ kāichē sòng nǐ qù ba.</span><br/><span> It's quite far away to walk there. How about I drive you there?</span></li>
    </ul>
  </div>

  <h2 id="multiple-meanings">Multiple Meanings</h2>

  <p>When <span class="hanzi">要不</span> (<span class="pinyin">yào bù</span>) is used to mean "<a href="otherwise" class="uri" title="wikilink">otherwise</a>”, it's a shortened form of <span class="hanzi">要不然</span>, which literally means "<b>if that's not the case.</b>"</p>

  <p>Note <span class="hanzi">要不</span> (<span class="pinyin">yào bù</span>) can also be used to offer "<b>either/or</b>" choices to others, similar to <a href="Expressing_&quot;either..._or...&quot;_with_&quot;yaome&quot;" title="wikilink">要么</a>.</p>

  <p>Here are a few examples of <span class="hanzi">要不</span> (<span class="pinyin">yào bù</span>) used as "otherwise":</p>

  <div class="exemple">
    <ul>
      <li><span class="hanzi">你 先 吃 吧 ，要 不然 饭 就 凉 了 。</span> <span class="pinyin">Nǐ xiān chī ba, yào bùrán fàn jiù liáng le.</span><br/><span> You should eat, otherwise the food gets cold.</span></li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">走 吧 ，要不 没 地铁 了 。</span><span class="pinyin"> Zǒu ba, yàobù méi dìtiě le.</span><br/><span> Let's go, or we will miss the last metro.</span></li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">打车 去 吧，要 不 会 迟到 的。</span> <span class="pinyin">Dǎ chē qù ba, yào bù huì chídào de.</span><br/><span> You should take a taxi, otherwise you'll be late.</span></li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">快 说 对不起 吧 ，要 不然 她 要 生气 了 。</span> <span class="pinyin">Kuài shuō duìbuqǐ ba, yào bùrán tā yào shēngqì le.</span><br/><span> Say sorry, otherwise she's going to be angry.</span></li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">快点 回家 吧，要不 你 爸妈 会 担心 的 。</span> <span class="pinyin">Kuài diǎn huíjiā ba, yào bù nǐ bàmā huì dānxīn de.</span><br/><span> Hurry and go home, or your parents will start to worry.</span></li>
    </ul>
  </div>

  <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2>

  <ul>
    <li><a href="&quot;Or&quot;_in_statements" title="wikilink">"Or" in statements</a></li>

    <li><a href="Suggestions_with_&quot;ba&quot;" title="wikilink">Suggestions with "ba"</a></li>

    <li><a href="Expressing_&quot;had_better&quot;_with_&quot;haishi&quot;" title="wikilink">Expressing "had better" with "haishi"</a></li>
  </ul>

  <h2 id="sources-and-further-reading">Sources and further reading</h2>

  <h3 id="books">Books</h3>

  <ul>
    <li>Home With Kids1 (<span class="hanzi">家有儿女1</span>)(pp. 50)</li>

    <li>BRIDGE (<span class="hanzi">桥梁 实用汉语中级教程下</span>)(pp. 187)</li>

    <li>Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1 (pp. 123-4)</li>

    <li><span class="hanzi">卓越汉语－公司实战篇</span> (pp. 166-7)</li>
  </ul>
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