要不 (yào bù) — Meaning, Usage & Tone

What does 要不 mean?

要不 — At the start of a suggestion, 要不 introduces an alternative. It can also lead into an “otherwise” consequence.

✓How about…?

✓Why don’t we…?

✓Otherwise…

The sentence after 要不 tells you whether it is a friendly proposal or an alternative if the first plan fails.

Open each character to see its own meanings and vocabulary links.

A: 晚饭吃什么？

wǎnfàn chī shénme?

A: What should we have for dinner?

B: 要不吃面吧？

yào bù chī miàn ba?

B: How about noodles?

A: 快迟到了。

kuài chídào le.

A: We’re going to be late.

B: 要不我们打车？

yào bù wǒmen dǎchē?

B: How about taking a taxi?

要不

yào bù

Tap to hear Mandarin.

✓Common before a suggestion in spoken Mandarin.

✓The proposal that follows can be softened with 吧.

✓In a warning or conditional sentence, it can mean “otherwise.”