How to Say ‘Do not want; should not’ in Simplified Chinese
不要
bú yào
[boo-yaow]
💬 Usage Tip: In the pattern [要不要], the second half uses [不要] to mean 'or not,' not necessarily a strong 'don't want.' Chinese often asks yes/no questions by repeating the verb this way: [去不去] 'going or not?' [好不好] 'okay or not?'.
Phrase Breakdown
不要
bú yào
[boo-yaow]
do not; don't want
Can mean 'do not' for commands or 'do not want' depending on context.
这个图表不要太复杂。
This chart should not be too complicated.
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