Speaking • Expressing Ideas
Learn Speaking Mandarin Chinese: Expressing Suggestion & Advice in Chinese
Suggesting something in Mandarin requires choosing the right level of directness. 你应该 (you should) is direct and advisory. 要不 (how about) is soft and casual. 不如 introduces a better alternative. This page covers all the key patterns for making suggestions and giving advice.
Suggestions & Advice
| 汉字 Chinese | 拼音 Pīnyīn | English |
|---|---|---|
我建议… | wǒ jiànyì… | I suggest… |
你应该… | nǐ yīnggāi… | You should… |
你最好… | nǐ zuìhǎo… | You'd better… |
不如… | bùrú… | How about… / Why not… (comparing alternatives) |
咱们… | zánmen… | Let's… (includes the speaker) |
我们去…吧 | wǒmen qù…ba | Let's go to… (suggestion with particle 吧) |
要不…？ | yào bù…? | How about…? (casual suggestion) |
你觉得呢？ | nǐ juéde ne | What do you think? |
我觉得… | wǒ juéde… | I think… / In my opinion… |
我的建议是… | wǒ de jiànyì shì… | My suggestion is… |
Usage Notes
Both mean 'we/us', but 咱们 (zánmen) explicitly includes the person you are talking to, while 我们 (wǒmen) may or may not. When making a group suggestion, 咱们 sounds more inclusive and warm.
Adding 吧 to a statement softens it into a suggestion or invitation. 我们去吃饭 (we are going to eat) becomes 我们去吃饭吧 (shall we go eat?). 吧 also seeks agreement or confirmation.
你最好 (you'd better) implies a mild warning — there may be a negative consequence if they do not follow the advice. Use it with people you know well; it can sound blunt with strangers.
要不 is conversational shorthand for 要不然 (yào bùrán — otherwise / or else). As a suggestion opener ('how about…?'), it is casual and friendly — common in everyday spoken Mandarin.