何不 (hé bù) — (literary) why not (used to suggest or question)

Definition

A literary phrase meaning 'why not', used to suggest an action. More formal and written than spoken 为什么不做, and softer than 不如 which compares options.

adverb

(literary) why not (used to suggest or question)

，何不？
Jì rán yǒu shí jiān, hé bù qù tú shū guǎn kàn kàn?
Since you have time, why not go check out the library?
何不？
hé bù Huàn yì zhǒng fāng fǎ shì yi shì?
Why not try a different method?
何不？
hé bù Zǎo zuò zhǔn bèi?
Why not prepare early?

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The old form of 何 drew a person carrying something on their shoulder. If the carried thing was a 戈, the 人 and 戈 parts together showed that picture.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The picture in 不 originally showed a flower’s calyx; the “no” sense came later from a related character, not from this picture.

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