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

 
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{{Grammar Box}}
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{{Grammar Box}}  
  
要不 (yào bù) can have a number of meanings depending on how it is used.  
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Colloquially, 要不 (yàobù) can be used for making suggestions, like how we use "[[how about]]" in English.
  
==要不 as to mark possible choices==
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== Structure ==
  
要不 can be used to offer "either/or" choices to others, similar to 或者.
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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="liju">  
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<div class="jiegou">
* 你 <em>要不</em> 看书 <em>要不</em>  睡觉 。
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Reason / Situation ,要不 + Suggestion
* <em>要不</em> 你 做,<em>要不</em> 我 做,一定 要 做 完。
 
 
</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.
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or  
  
==要不 used for suggestions==
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<div class="jiegou">
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要不 + Suggestion ,Reason / Situation
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</div>
  
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.
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== Examples ==
  
 
<div class="liju">   
 
<div class="liju">   
* <em>要不</em> 我们 一起 去 吧。
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* <em>要不</em> 我们 去 吃 湖南 菜 吧,比 川 菜 有 味道。
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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>
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*<em>要不</em> 我们 一起 去 <strong>吧</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>
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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>
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*<em>要不</em> 我们 换 个 地方 <strong>吧</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>
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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 <strong>吧</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 远 ,<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>
 
</div>
  
==要不 means otherwise==
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== Multiple Meanings ==
要不 can also be used to mean otherwise:
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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">   
 
<div class="liju">   
* 你 快点 打电话 给 他,<em>要不</em> 他会 很 担心。
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* 我 要 打的, <em>要不</em> 我会迟到。
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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>
* 我们 今 晚 需要 收拾 好 行李,<em>要不</em> 明天 来 不 及。
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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>
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</div>
 
</div>
  
要不然 can be used interchangably with 要不 when it is used as 否则.
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== See also ==
  
==See  also==
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* [["Or" in statements]]
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* [[Suggestions with "ba"]]
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* [[Expressing "had better" with "haishi"]]
  
 
== Sources  and further reading ==
 
== Sources  and further reading ==
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=== Books ===
 
=== Books ===
  
*[[Home With Kids1 (家有儿女1)]] (pp. 50)
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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)
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{{Source|BRIDGE (桥梁 实用汉语中级教程下)|187}}
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{{Source|Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1|123-4}}
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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|要不...|<em>要不</em> 看书 <em>要不</em>  睡觉 <em>要不</em> 我们 一起 去 吧。我 要 打的, <em>要不</em> 我会迟到。|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|不}}
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{{Rel char|}}
{{POS|Conjunctions}}
 
 
{{Similar|"Or" in statements}}
 
{{Similar|"Or" in statements}}
{{Similar|Expressing "either ... or ..." with "yaome"}}  
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{{Similar|Suggestions with "ba"}}
{{Similar|Suggestions with "ba"}}      
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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|Giving suggestions}}
 
 
{{Used for|Indicating cause and effect}}
 
{{Used for|Indicating cause and effect}}
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{{Translation|otherwise}}
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{{Translation|either}}
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{{Translation|or}}
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{{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