要不

• Pinyin: yào bù
• Hanzi breakdown: 要 = 西 (cover) + 女 (woman — original meaning: to demand/require; extended to 'must/if'); 不 = root-downward pictograph (negation)

Meaning

Otherwise; or else; alternatively. Introduces a contrasting option or consequence, or suggests an alternative course of action.

Functions as a conjunction linking two clauses: (1) 'otherwise / or else' — presenting a negative consequence if the preceding condition is not met; (2) 'how about / alternatively' — suggesting an alternative option in a proposal. Common in spoken and informal written Chinese.

Examples

1. 你得现在出发，要不肯定赶不上最后一班地铁，到时候只能打车了。 You need to leave now, or you definitely won’t catch the last subway—then you’ll have to take a cab.
2. 这道题我实在不会，要不你先讲讲思路，我自己再试着做一遍？ I really can’t do this problem—why don’t you walk me through your approach first, and then I’ll try it again myself?
3. 今天天气不好，要不我们把户外活动改到下周末，到时候应该会晴。 The weather’s bad today—why don’t we move the outdoor activity to next weekend? It should be sunny then.

Usage Guide

Context: spoken, suggestion, warning, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 你现在就得把合同签了，要不对方随时可能变卦，到那时候再后悔也来不及了。(You need to sign the contract right now; otherwise the other party could change their mind at any moment, and by then it will be too late to regret it.)
• 这个方案目前看来确实存在一些不足，要不我们今天先搁置争议，各自回去再完善一下，明天再继续讨论？(This plan does have some shortcomings at the moment; how about we set aside the dispute for today, each go back and refine our ideas, and then continue the discussion tomorrow?)

Don't Say

• 要不然而如此 — 要不 is a standalone conjunction; do not combine with 然而 or 如此; say 要不然 or simply 要不; stacking conjunctions is grammatically redundant and unnatural

Origin & History

要 (must/if — originally to demand, later 'must/if') + 不 (not — a radical showing negation)

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal