Might as well / no harm in (不妨)

Structure Subject + 不妨 + verb (suggestion)

不妨 (bùfáng) literally means "it does no harm", and is used to float a softened, polite suggestion: "you might as well…", "there's no harm in…", "why not…". It always precedes the verb: 你不妨试试这个办法 = "you might as well try this method". It cushions the advice and leaves the choice to the listener, unlike the blunt 应该 "you should". It belongs to written and cultivated spoken register, common when advising or proposing.

Examples

你nǐ不bù妨fáng试shì试shi这zhè个ge办bàn法fǎ。
You might as well give this method a try.
时shí间jiān还hái早zǎo，我wǒ们men不bù妨fáng再zài等děng一yī会huì儿r。
It's still early; we might as well wait a little longer.
若ruò有yǒu疑yí问wèn，不bù妨fáng当dāng面miàn提tí出chū。
If you have questions, there's no harm in raising them in person.
这zhè个ge建jiàn议yì不bù妨fáng一yī听tīng。
This suggestion is worth at least hearing out.

This point and the other 370, with audio on every example, inside Wanyu.

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