Difference between revisions of "Expressing "how about" with "yaobu""

 
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{{Grammar Box}}  
 
{{Grammar Box}}  
  
要不 (yàobù) can have a number of meanings, ranging from "[[either]]/[[or]]" to "[[how about]]." It's quite colloquial to be used for suggestions.
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Colloquially, 要不 (yàobù) can be used for making suggestions, like how we use "[[how about]]" in English.
  
 
== Structure ==
 
== Structure ==
  
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. (Once again, 要么 can be used similarly.) When using 要不 in this way, it can come either at the beginning of the sentence, or in the middle, after explaining the situation.
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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. When using 要不 in this way, it can come either at the beginning of the sentence or in the middle, after explaining the situation.
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
Reason / Situation,要不 + Option B + 吧
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Reason / Situation ,要不 + Suggestion
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
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<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
要不 + Option B + 吧 ,Reason / Situation  
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要不 + Suggestion ,Reason / Situation  
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
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<div class="liju">   
 
<div class="liju">   
  
*一个人 去 没 意思,<em>要不</em> 我们 一起 去 吧 <span class="pinyin">Yīgèrén qù méi yìsi, <em>yàobù</em> wǒmen yīqǐ qù ba?</span><span class="trans">It's no fun to go by myself. How about we go together?</span>
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*大家 都 有点 累 了,<em>要不</em> 休息 一会儿 <strong>吧</strong> 。<span class="pinyin">Dàjiā dōu yǒudiǎn lèi le, <em>yàobù</em> xiūxi yīhuìr <strong>ba</strong>.</span><span class="trans">Everyone is a little tired. Let's rest for a while.</span>
*下雨 了,<em>要不</em> 明天 再 去 吧 。<span class="pinyin">Xià yǔ le, <em>yàobù</em> jīntiān bié qù le.</span><span class="trans">It's raining. How about we go tomorrow?</span>
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*<em>要不</em> 我们 一起 去 <strong></strong> ,一个人 去 没 意思 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Yàobù</em> wǒmen yīqǐ qù <strong>ba</strong>, yīgèrén qù méi yìsi.</span><span class="trans">How about we go together? It's no fun to go by myself.</span>
*<em>要不</em> 今晚 出去 吃 ,我妈 不知道 你 会 来 ,没 做饭 。<span class="trans">We have a blackout of water supply at home. How about we go eat out tonight?</span>
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*这个 星期 我 比较 忙 ,<em>要不</em> 下 个 星期 见 ?<span class="pinyin">Zhège xīngqī wǒ bǐjiào máng, <em>yàobù</em> xià gè xīngqī jiàn?</span><span class="trans">I'm pretty busy this week. How about we meet up next week?</span>
*走路 去 挺 的,<em>要不</em> 我 开车 送 你 去 吧 。<span class="pinyin">Zǒulù guò tǐng yuǎn de, <em>yàobù</em> wǒ kāichē sòng nǐ qù ba.</span><span class="trans">It's quite far away to walk there. How about I drive you there?</span>
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*<em>要不</em> 我们 换 个 地方 <strong></strong> ,这里 太 吵 了 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Yàobù</em> wǒmen huàn gè dìfang <strong>ba</strong>, zhèlǐ tài chǎo le.</span><span class="trans">How about we go to somewhere else? It's too loud here.</span>
*<em>要不</em> 我们 去 逛街 吧,比 在家 看 电视 有 意思 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Yàobù</em> wǒmen qù guàngjiē ba, bǐ zàijiā kàn diànshì yǒu yìsi.</span><span class="trans">Let's go shopping. It's more fun than watching TV at home.</span>
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*<em>要不</em> 你 先 走 <strong>吧</strong> ,我 还没 做完 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Yàobù</em> nǐ xiān zǒu <strong>ba</strong>, wǒ hái méi zuò wán.</span><span class="trans">How about you leave first? I haven't finished yet.</span>
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*下雨 了,<em>要不</em> 明天 去 <strong></strong> <span class="pinyin">Xiàyǔ le, <em>yàobù</em> míngtiān qù <strong>ba</strong>.</span><span class="trans">It's raining. How about we go tomorrow?</span>
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*这么 <em>要不</em> 我 开车 送 你 去 <span class="pinyin">Zhème yuǎn, <em>yàobù</em> wǒ kāichē sòng nǐ qù?</span><span class="trans">It's so far. How about I drive you there?</span>
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</div>
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== Multiple Meanings ==
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When 要不 (yàobù) is used to mean "[[otherwise]],” it's a shortened form of 要不然 (yàobùrán), which literally means "if that's not the case."
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Note 要不 (yàobù) can also be used to offer "either/or" choices to others, similar to [[Expressing "either... or..." with "yaome"|要么]] (yàome).
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Here are a few examples of  要不 used as "otherwise":
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<div class="liju"> 
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*你 先 吃 吧 ,<em>要 不然</em> 饭 就 凉 了 。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ xiān chī ba, <em>yàobùrán</em> fàn jiù liáng le.</span><span class="trans">You should eat; otherwise, the food will get cold.</span>
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*打车 吧 ,<em>要不</em> 会 迟到 的 。<span class="pinyin">Dǎchē ba, <em>yàobù</em> huì chídào de.</span><span class="trans">Take a taxi. Otherwise, you'll be late.</span>
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*快 回家 吧 ,<em>要不</em> 你 爸妈 会 担心 的 。<span class="pinyin">Kuài huíjiā ba, <em>yàobù</em> nǐ bà mā huì dānxīn de.</span><span class="trans">Hurry home, or your parents will worry about you.</span>
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
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=== Books ===
 
=== Books ===
  
*[[Home With Kids1 (家有儿女1)]](pp. 50) [http://www.amazon.cn/%E5%AE%B6%E6%9C%89%E5%84%BF%E5%A5%B31-%E5%88%98%E7%AB%8B%E6%96%B0/dp/B0020MLDO8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347862139&sr=8-1 →buy]
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{{Source|Home With Kids1 (家有儿女1)|50}}
*[[BRIDGE (桥梁 实用汉语中级教程下)]](pp. 187) [http://www.amazon.cn/gp/product/B003AKZFF2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B003AKZFF2&linkCode=as2&tag=allset-23 →buy]
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{{Source|BRIDGE (桥梁 实用汉语中级教程下)|187}}
* [[Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1]] (pp. 123-4) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276792/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0887276792 →buy]
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{{Source|Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1|123-4}}
*[[卓越汉语-公司实战篇]] (pp. 166-7) [http://www.amazon.cn/%E5%8D%93%E8%B6%8A%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD-%E5%85%AC%E5%8F%B8%E5%AE%9E%E6%88%98%E7%AF%87-%E8%83%A1%E7%81%B5%E5%9D%87/dp/B003QZWQ6M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347863170&sr=8-1 →buy]
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{{Source|卓越汉语-公司实战篇|166-7}}
 
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{{Source|HSK Standard Course 5上|66}}
  
 
[[Category:B1 grammar points]]
 
[[Category:B1 grammar points]]
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{{HSK|HSK5}}
 
[[Category:Prepositions]]
 
[[Category:Prepositions]]
{{Basic Grammar||B1|Reason / Situation,要不 + Option B + 吧|下雨 了,<em>要不</em> 明天 再 去 吧 。|grammar point|ASGDFQP7}}
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{{Basic Grammar|要不|B1|Reason / Situation,要不 + Suggestion + 吧|下雨 了,<em>要不</em> 明天 再 去 吧 。|grammar point|ASGDFQP7}}
{{Rel char|要不}}
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{{Rel char|}}
{{POS|Conjunctions}}
 
 
{{Similar|"Or" in statements}}
 
{{Similar|"Or" in statements}}
{{Similar|Expressing "either ... or ..." with "yaome"}}   
 
 
{{Similar|Suggestions with "ba"}}
 
{{Similar|Suggestions with "ba"}}
{{Similar|"Unless" with "chufei"}}
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{{Similar|Expressing "had better" with "haishi"}}
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{{Similar|Expressing "either... or..." with "yaome"}}
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{{Similar|Providing two options with double "huozhe"}}
 
{{Used for|Giving alternatives}}
 
{{Used for|Giving alternatives}}
 
{{Used for|Indicating cause and effect}}
 
{{Used for|Indicating cause and effect}}
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{{Translation|or}}
 
{{Translation|or}}
 
{{Translation|how about}}
 
{{Translation|how about}}
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{{POS|Conjunctions}}

Latest revision as of 09:40, 12 April 2019

Colloquially, 要不 (yàobù) can be used for making suggestions, like how we use "how about" in English.

Structure

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. When using 要不 in this way, it can come either at the beginning of the sentence or in the middle, after explaining the situation.

Reason / Situation ,要不 + Suggestion

or

要不 + Suggestion ,Reason / Situation

Examples

  • 大家 都 有点 累 了,要不 休息 一会儿 Dàjiā dōu yǒudiǎn lèi le, yàobù xiūxi yīhuìr ba.Everyone is a little tired. Let's rest for a while.
  • 要不 我们 一起 去 ,一个人 去 没 意思 。Yàobù wǒmen yīqǐ qù ba, yīgèrén qù méi yìsi.How about we go together? It's no fun to go by myself.
  • 这个 星期 我 比较 忙 ,要不 下 个 星期 见 ?Zhège xīngqī wǒ bǐjiào máng, yàobù xià gè xīngqī jiàn?I'm pretty busy this week. How about we meet up next week?
  • 要不 我们 换 个 地方 ,这里 太 吵 了 。Yàobù wǒmen huàn gè dìfang ba, zhèlǐ tài chǎo le.How about we go to somewhere else? It's too loud here.
  • 要不 你 先 走 ,我 还没 做完 。Yàobù nǐ xiān zǒu ba, wǒ hái méi zuò wán.How about you leave first? I haven't finished yet.
  • 下雨 了,要不 明天 去 Xiàyǔ le, yàobù míngtiān qù ba.It's raining. How about we go tomorrow?
  • 这么 远 ,要不 我 开车 送 你 去 ?Zhème yuǎn, yàobù wǒ kāichē sòng nǐ qù?It's so far. How about I drive you there?

Multiple Meanings

When 要不 (yàobù) is used to mean "otherwise,” it's a shortened form of 要不然 (yàobùrán), which literally means "if that's not the case."

Note 要不 (yàobù) can also be used to offer "either/or" choices to others, similar to 要么 (yàome).

Here are a few examples of 要不 used as "otherwise":

  • 你 先 吃 吧 ,要 不然 饭 就 凉 了 。Nǐ xiān chī ba, yàobùrán fàn jiù liáng le.You should eat; otherwise, the food will get cold.
  • 打车 吧 ,要不 会 迟到 的 。Dǎchē ba, yàobù huì chídào de.Take a taxi. Otherwise, you'll be late.
  • 快 回家 吧 ,要不 你 爸妈 会 担心 的 。Kuài huíjiā ba, yàobù nǐ bà mā huì dānxīn de.Hurry home, or your parents will worry about you.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books