What is the tone of the construction 还不?

[anonymoose]

What is the tone of the construction 还不? And I don't mean tone as in 声调, but rather, is it like a suggestion, an invitation or an order?

Examples I have found:

1) 上课铃响了，还不快给我进来！

2) 什么时候了，还不快跑

3) 沙发空缺中，还不快抢

4) 打工度假,墨尔本我来了,你们还不快一起出发

Would it be accurate to translate these as:

1) The bell's ringing, come in quickly!

2) Is it that late? Let's go quickly

3) No replies yet. Hurry up and be the first!

4) Working holiday, Melbourne here I come! Why don't you hurry up and join me?

[xiaocai]

I think it is very similar to the "imperative mood" in English, which my dictionary explains as "the mood of a verb that expresses a command or exhortation". It could be wrong though since I know very little about grammar.

[renzhe]

It's a bit like "what are you waiting for?!" It often expresses disapproval that something hasn't been done (yet).

It's certainly not a polite invitation or request.

-- with the usual disclaimer, of course

[Jane_PA]

还不 sounds like a suggestion, but in fact is an order and a strong question.

[xiaocai]

Actually after a second thought it seems 还不 is not necessary to form "imperative mood" in Chinese, but rather to intensify it. But apart from the first example and don't think it sounds too impolite (and the impoliteness of example 1 I personally think is mainly due to the use of 给我), though.

[roddy]

I'd say in (British, at least) English it's similar to a 'Well, _____________ then!' - there is the instruction to do something, but also an element of 'you should have done this already' and 'why should I need to tell you this?' The impatient frustrated imperative, you might call it.

Note also that all the examples here are paired with 快.

[anonymoose]

Thanks for the replies.

Note also that all the examples here are paired with 快.

Presumably it could be paired with all kinds of other words/phrases. I just searched for 还不快 on Google, because searching for 还不 only gives too many irrelevant results.

[Kenny同志]

I’d say “还不” is used to introduce a suggestion, but sometimes the suggestion is so strong that it can be perceived as an order, as in Example 1. I don’t think there’s an exactly precise English translation of the word: some nuances are very hard to put into English, especially when it comes to the tone in which it is uttered out.

My attempt at

2): Look at what time it is now, run to there!

3) No replies yet, but why not be the first (to respond)?

PS:

1) 上课铃响了，还不快给我进来！

1) The bell's ringing, come in quickly

As the translation heavily relies on the context, especially, as I said before, the tone, this version can be an equal to the original on certain occasions ; nonetheless this doesn't exclude other possible versions.

[roddy]

I'd be inclined to end that with something like 'Why aren't you inside already?'

[Kenny同志]

I personally prefer Roddy's version.

[anonymoose]

I’d say “还不” is used to introduce a suggestion, but sometimes the suggestion is so strong that it can be perceived as an order,

Yes, that's kind of what I thought. Thanks for the confirmation.

[Zomac]

躲了半天, 還不給我滾出來?!

i would say this one is just a suggestion.

[Kenny同志]

I must hurry to add that when还不 is used to introduce a suggestion, or even an order sometimes, it usually indicates a tiny or mild dissatisfaction.

到这个时候了，肯尼怎么还不来？

The speaker is not satisfied with the fact that Kenny has not turned up yet.

[renzhe]

The speaker is not satisfied with the fact that Kenny has not turned up yet.

He could also be worried that something happened.

I think that there is a difference in tone when you use it directly to address somebody. If you use it rhetorically, then it's milder, I feel.

[Kenny同志]

Very insightful. The speaker could either be unsatisfied with or worried about the fact. Context counts.