How to say “how about” in Chinese with 要不

(yàobù) + Suggestion / Option

Expressing "how about" with "要不 (yàobù)"

HSK 5Conjunctions

Rule structure

要不 (yàobù) is a colloquial way to make a suggestion or propose an alternative. It is short for 要不然 (yàoburán). It softens the tone and invites agreement.

Examples

要不我们去看电影?

Yàobù wǒmen qù kàn diànyǐng?

How about we go to the movies?

Practice

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Frequently asked questions

How do you express “Expressing "how about" with "要不 (yàobù)"” in Chinese?

Use the structure: 要不 (yàobù) + Suggestion / Option. For example: 要不我们去看电影? — “How about we go to the movies?”.

What is an example sentence with this grammar rule?

要不我们去看电影? — “How about we go to the movies?”.

Which HSK level includes this grammar rule?

This grammar rule is part of HSK 5.

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