Might as well: deciding in one go with 索性
索性 (like 干脆) marks a decision taken outright because the situation leaves no better option: “might as well, simply”. It goes before a deliberate action, never before something that just happens to someone.
Structure
（情况不理想），主语 + 索性 + 动词短语（主动选择的做法）
Explanation
Chinese words in this text can be activated to show a dictionary gloss.
describes a moment of decision. Something has not worked out — the bus is late, the repair keeps failing, you are already late — and instead of continuing to wait or try, the person takes a clean, sometimes more radical step: ， “After half an hour with no bus, we simply walked home.”
The action after is always chosen. That is what separates it from words like or , which report outcomes. ， is an error, because nobody decides to fall; the sentence needs or . In the same way, cannot go before an adjective describing a state.
The preceding clause usually explains the situation, often with or : ， “Since he was already late, he decided not to go at all.” is an adverb and follows the subject.
and are interchangeable in this use; is more common in speech and can also be an adjective meaning “straightforward” (), which cannot.
Correct
Say each one out loud before moving on. The audio is a reference pronunciation, not a model to imitate exactly — match the tone contour, not the voice.
等了半个小时公共汽车还没来，我们索性走回家了。等了半個小時公共汽車還沒來，我們索性走回家了。
Děng (third tone, dipping) le (neutral tone) bàn (fourth tone, falling) ge (neutral tone) xiǎoshí (third tone, dipping) gōnggòng (first tone, high and level) qìchē (fourth tone, falling) hái (second tone, rising) méi (second tone, rising) lái, (second tone, rising) wǒmen (third tone, dipping) suǒxìng (third tone, dipping) zǒu (third tone, dipping) huí (second tone, rising) jiā (first tone, high and level) le. (neutral tone)···
After half an hour with no bus, we simply walked home.
既然已经迟到了，他索性不去了。既然已經遲到了，他索性不去了。
Jìrán (fourth tone, falling) yǐjīng (third tone, dipping) chídào (second tone, rising) le, (neutral tone) tā (first tone, high and level) suǒxìng (third tone, dipping) bú (second tone, rising) qù (fourth tone, falling) le. (neutral tone)···
Since he was late already, he decided not to go at all.
这台电脑修了好几次都没修好，我索性买了一台新的。這臺電腦修了好幾次都沒修好，我索性買了一臺新的。
Zhè (fourth tone, falling) tái (second tone, rising) diànnǎo (fourth tone, falling) xiū (first tone, high and level) le (neutral tone) hǎo (third tone, dipping) jǐ (third tone, dipping) cì (fourth tone, falling) dōu (first tone, high and level) méi (second tone, rising) xiū (first tone, high and level) hǎo, (third tone, dipping) wǒ (third tone, dipping) suǒxìng (third tone, dipping) mǎi (third tone, dipping) le (neutral tone) yì (fourth tone, falling) tái (second tone, rising) xīn (first tone, high and level) de. (neutral tone)···
The computer was repaired several times and still didn’t work, so I just bought a new one.
Incorrect — Common mistakes
These sentences are wrong. They are printed here on purpose, each one paired with the repair and the reason, because the error you can recognise is the error you stop making.
Not quite
Incorrect sentence: 他走得太快，索性摔倒了。
Correct
Correct sentence: 他走得太快，不小心摔倒了。
Why: 索性 introduces a chosen action. A fall is an accident, so the sentence needs 不小心 or 结果.
Not quite
Incorrect sentence: 他索性非常聪明。
Correct
Correct sentence: 他确实非常聪明。
Why: 索性 does not mean “really” or “indeed”, and it cannot precede an adjective describing a quality. For emphasis use 确实.
Not quite
Incorrect sentence: 车坏了，索性我们走着去吧。
Correct
Correct sentence: 车坏了，我们索性走着去吧。
Why: 索性 is an adverb; in careful writing it follows the subject.
Compared with
Most errors with this pattern are not errors about this pattern — they are a neighbouring pattern arriving at the wrong moment. Read these side by side.
Both describe a reaction to a situation, but from opposite sides of the will. 索性 is a decision: the person chooses a definite course of action. 不禁 is involuntary: the person cannot help laughing, crying or remembering. 他索性笑了 sounds odd for the same reason 他不禁买了一台新电脑 does.
Cannot help: 不禁 and 不由得 →Mini quiz
Question 1 / 3Total score: 0
Choose the word for the gap.
这道题想了一个小时也没想出来，他 ___ 去问老师了。