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
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要努力，不要放弃。
Translate to Chinese: Drink more water, don't drink too much coffee.
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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:
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear 要...不要... in real Chinese, not in a textbook.
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