HSK 5 · VERSION 2.0#24
Expressing “How About” with “yào bù”
要不
How it works
要不 (yào bù) means “how about...,” “otherwise...,” or “what if we do this instead?” It is often used to make a suggestion, especially when the speaker wants to propose an alternative solution.
The pattern
要不 (yào bù) + Clause
Example sentences
现在外面这么堵，要不我们改成线上开会吧。
Traffic is so bad outside now. How about changing the meeting to an online one?
你要是拿不定主意，要不先回去考虑一下。
If you cannot make up your mind, how about going back and thinking it over first?
我们已经讨论了这么久，要不先休息十分钟再继续。
We have already been discussing for so long. How about resting for ten minutes first and then continuing?
Key point
要不 (yào bù) often sounds natural, spoken, and polite when offering another option.