why not
896
2.4
- idiom
:
¿por qué no?
- I mean, it is my birthday, so why not go for it?
- why not just
- why not try
- why not go
It's like, wow, why not just have some fun?
- It's like, wow, why not just have some fun?
- But like Netflix, why not just start there?
- But if I can push back, why not embrace family values?
- Or if magic isn't doing it for you anymore, why not try science?
- So I thought why not make Sharknado cupcake?
- Second, I'm doing this shit, so why not do this shit?
- I say, OK, it's good, but why not be Steve Jobs too?
- And so is that what, why not spend more?
- It was the best thing when I thought why not just have that given this way?
Examples
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If this diet might help her, why not try it?
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So I figure why not try both?
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If you have that concern, why not share it with the world?
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It's like, wow, why not just have some fun?
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Ask yourself, why not me or why not us?
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And I thought why not open this whole wall up?
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So I thought, why not show you what they look like?
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So today I was like, why not do it with you?
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So it's like, why not go for it?
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If this diet might help her, why not try it?
Antonyms
How Willing
Surface Forms
Morphology
why + not
The phrase 'why not' literally combines 'why' (asking for a reason) with 'not' (negation) to mean 'for what reason not?', so a learner who knows both words can infer there is no good reason against the proposal and therefore accept or agree. Its rhetorical, invitational use is a direct pragmatic extension of those constituent meanings and is cross-linguistically common, so it should be immediately comprehensible to a B1 learner.
Etymology
Why not comes from the short question why not, asking 'is there any reason not to?'. If the answer is no, people say why not to show 'agreement' or 'willingness' to do something.