Difference between revisions of "Expressing "how about" with "yaobu""
| Line 19: | Line 19: | ||
<div class="liju"> | <div class="liju"> | ||
| − | * <em>要不</em> 我们 一起 去 吧。 | + | * <em>要不</em> 我们 一起 去 吧。<span class="trans">How about we go together?</span> |
| − | * <em>要不</em> 我们 去 吃 湖南 菜 吧，比 川 菜 有 味道。 | + | * <em>要不</em> 我们 去 吃 湖南 菜 吧，比 川 菜 有 味道。<span class="trans">Let's eat Hunan food, it tastes better than Szechuan food.</span> |
</div> | </div> | ||
| Line 26: | Line 26: | ||
要不 can also be used to mean otherwise: | 要不 can also be used to mean otherwise: | ||
<div class="liju"> | <div class="liju"> | ||
| − | * 你 快点 打电话 给 他，<em>要不</em> 他会 很 担心。 | + | * 你 快点 打电话 给 他，<em>要不</em> 他会 很 担心。<span class="trans">I need to call him soon or he'll start to worry.</span> |
| − | * 我 要 打的, <em>要不</em> 我会迟到。 | + | * 我 要 打的, <em>要不</em> 我会迟到。<span class="trans">I'm going to take a taxi, otherwise I'll be late.</span> |
| − | * 我们 今 晚 需要 收拾 好 行李，<em>要不</em> 明天 来 不 及。 | + | * 我们 今 晚 需要 收拾 好 行李，<em>要不</em> 明天 来 不 及。<span class="trans">We need to prepare the luggage tonight, otherwise there won't be time tomorrow.</span> |
</div> | </div> | ||
| − | 要不然 can be used | + | 要不然 can be used interchangeably with 要不 when it is used as 否则. |
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
| Line 54: | Line 54: | ||
{{Similar|Suggestions with "ba"}} | {{Similar|Suggestions with "ba"}} | ||
{{Used for|Giving alternatives}} | {{Used for|Giving alternatives}} | ||
| − | |||
{{Used for|Indicating cause and effect}} | {{Used for|Indicating cause and effect}} | ||
Revision as of 03:26, 4 June 2013
-
Level
-
Similar to
-
Used for
-
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 睡觉 。You can either study or go to sleep.
- 要不 你 做，要不 我 做，一定 要 做 完。Either you do it or I do it, but it's definitely going to be done.
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。How about we go together?
- 要不 我们 去 吃 湖南 菜 吧，比 川 菜 有 味道。Let's eat Hunan food, it tastes better than Szechuan food.
要不 means otherwise
要不 can also be used to mean otherwise:
- 你 快点 打电话 给 他，要不 他会 很 担心。I need to call him soon or he'll start to worry.
- 我 要 打的, 要不 我会迟到。I'm going to take a taxi, otherwise I'll be late.
- 我们 今 晚 需要 收拾 好 行李，要不 明天 来 不 及。We need to prepare the luggage tonight, otherwise there won't be time tomorrow.
要不然 can be used interchangeably 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)
