要...不要...
Reach for this when you want to give a 'do this, not that' instruction — 'do X, don't Y.' Two clauses pair a positive command with a negative one: 要 ('should / want to') prescribes, 不要 ('don't') forbids. Heard everywhere advice is given: parents to kids, signs, public-service slogans, self-help, classroom rules. The contrast makes the lesson memorable. Casual and direct — works in spoken instruction and motivational writing. Often the two clauses share a topic, so the second clause may drop the subject.
Structure
(Subject) + 要 + Verb Phrase A, 不要 + Verb Phrase B.
yào... bù yào...
How to Think About It
Picture a road sign: 'Slow down — don't speed.' That's the rhythm of 要...不要.... 要 carves the positive lane, 不要 closes off the negative one. Unlike 应该 / 不应该 ('ought to / ought not'), 要 / 不要 feels more direct and personal — like advice or a command. Common slogans: 要安全，不要事故; 要努力，不要放弃. Two clauses, equal weight, contrasting actions.
Examples
要努力，不要放弃。
Yào nǔlì, bù yào fàngqì.
Work hard — don't give up.
要多吃水果，不要吃太多糖。
Yào duō chī shuǐguǒ, bù yào chī tài duō táng.
Eat more fruit; don't eat too much sugar.
开车要小心，不要看手机。
Kāichē yào xiǎoxīn, bù yào kàn shǒujī.
Drive carefully — don't look at your phone.
要相信自己，不要害怕失败。
Yào xiāngxìn zìjǐ, bù yào hàipà shībài.
Believe in yourself — don't be afraid of failure.
Common Mistake
Learners use 不 instead of 不要 in the second half ('要小心，不快'). 不 alone before a verb means 'doesn't,' not 'don't.' The negative imperative needs 不要 or 别.
要努力，不放弃。
要努力，不要放弃。
Don't Confuse With
应该...不应该...
Same shape, formal tone — 'ought to / ought not.' Use in writing or thoughtful discussion; 要 / 不要 sounds more like direct instruction.
要么...要么...
'Either... or...' — two alternatives. 要...不要... commands one and forbids the other; 要么 offers a choice.
别...要...
Reverses the order — 'don't X, do Y.' 别 is the spoken alternative to 不要. Same idea, just leading with the prohibition.
Practice
Fill in: ____多看书，____玩手机太久。
Show answer
要 / 不要
Arrange: 要 / 努力 / 不要 / 放弃
Show answer
要努力，不要放弃。
Translate to Chinese: Drink more water, don't drink too much coffee.
Show answer
要多喝水，不要喝太多咖啡。
Use 要...不要... to give a friend simple advice.
Show answer
要早睡，不要熬夜。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode. Press play to hear the sentence:
要为自己的国家好。
Should be good for one's own country.
Trump and Iran: Who Backs Down First?Beginner
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear 要...不要... in real Chinese, not in a textbook.
Fluentide picks the next news episode at your level, so this pattern shows up again and again in real context. The transcript marks it, the audio drills it. Free to start.