Difference between revisions of "Expressing "how about" with "yaobu""
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要不 (yào bù) can have a number of meanings depending on how it is used. | 要不 (yào bù) can have a number of meanings depending on how it is used. | ||
− | ==要不 as | + | ==要不 as to mark possible choices== |
+ | |||
+ | 要不 can be used to offer "either/or" choices to others, similar to 或者. | ||
+ | |||
<div class="liju"> | <div class="liju"> | ||
− | * 你 <em>要不</em> 看书 <em>要不</em> 去 睡觉 | + | * 你 <em>要不</em> 看书 <em>要不</em> 去 睡觉 。 |
</div> | </div> | ||
+ | |||
+ | Another word that can be used in a similar pattern is 要么, with the difference that 要么 can only be used to list the either/or choices available to oneself as well as the choices available to others. | ||
==要不 used for suggestions== | ==要不 used for suggestions== |
Revision as of 09:23, 10 July 2012
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Keywords
要不 (yào bù) can have a number of meanings depending on how it is used.
Contents
要不 as to mark possible choices
要不 can be used to offer "either/or" choices to others, similar to 或者.
- 你 要不 看书 要不 去 睡觉 。
Another word that can be used in a similar pattern is 要么, with the difference that 要么 can only be used to list the either/or choices available to oneself as well as the choices available to others.
要不 used for suggestions
要不 can be used as an indirect way of giving a suggestion, as the speaker is using 要不 to seek consent of the listener.
- 要不 我们 一起 去 吧。
- 要不 咱们 今晚 吃 湘菜。
要不 as 否则
要不 can also be used to mean otherwise:
- 你 快点 打电话 给 他,要不 他会 很 担心。
- 我 要 打的 要不 我会迟到。
要不然 can be used interchangably with 要不 when it is used as 否则.
See also
Sources and further reading
Books
- Home With Kids1 (家有儿女1) (pp. 50)
- BRIDGE (桥梁 实用汉语中级教程下) (pp. 187)