почему бы нет? Why add "бы "?

So when asking "why not?" in Russian you say "почему бы нет?"... why do we add the "бы" ? In fact, I see the "бы" added in many places that I fail to understand why it was put when it seems redundant....can anyone explain to me?

although Почему бы нет? is not that uncommon, i'd say that the form Почему бы и нет? is more frequent and sounds more complete

i'm afraid i can't give a logical explanation, but you may as well say А почему нет? or just Почему нет?

i'd guess that since Почему бы (и) нет? expresses hypothetical possibility бы is used, because бы grammatically signifies potential mood

Thanks for the explanation.. cleared it up!

When to use the word бы is always quite a mystery for me still, I hear it in a lot of sentences, phrases and word combinations that I find puzzling. But I won't harp on it, if I run into any I'll dive back in here to the cozy Russian sea drift that is masterrussian:)

Spasiba...otchen

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Originally Posted by Valda

Thanks for the explanation.. cleared it up!

When to use the word бы is always quite a mystery for me still, I hear it in a lot of sentences, phrases and word combinations that I find puzzling. But I won't harp on it, if I run into any I'll dive back in here to the cozy Russian sea drift that is masterrussian:)

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simplistically (or maybe even accurately) бы is just 'would'

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Originally Posted by Valda

Spasiba...otchen

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Большое спасибо or Спасибо большое as in Big thanks ;)

Subjunctive and conditional moods rather than potential, I think.

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Originally Posted by it-ogo

Subjunctive and conditional moods rather than potential, I think.

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true, in English they differ, in Russian not too much as бы is used in both

I think it's just one of the possible ways of saying the same thing. For example, in English:

Почему [нет]? => Why not?
Почему бы и нет? => Why wouldn't you/me/it?

And whilst English speakers would typically prefer the former, Russian speakers prefer the latter. I suspect that is because "нет" and "not" are used differently. In English "not" would serve an integral part of the negative sentence.

- I do not want to go there.
- Why not?

- Я не хочу туда идти.
- Почему?

Почему нет? = Why [it is] not [so]?

Почему бы и нет? = Why not [to do so]?