Expressing "what if" with "wanyi"

Literally meaning "ten thousand to one," 万一 (wànyī) is a word you can use to discuss unlikely possibilities in the sense of "what if," or "in case," or "in the unlikely event that." It's most often used to bring up undesirable situations.

This unspoken solution to a usually undesirable possibility is what the speaker is asking for, but often it's a rhetorical question. (In other words, the speaker is saying, "if this happens, you're screwed.")

Basic Usage

万一 (wànyī) is used for possibilities the speaker considers highly unlikely. It can go before or after the subject of a sentence, and there are two common ways to use it in a question:

万一 ⋯⋯ 怎么办 ？

万一 ⋯⋯ 呢 ？

Examples

• 万一 我 父母 不 同意 呢 ？Wànyī wǒ fùmǔ bù tóngyì ne? What if my parents disapprove?
• 万一 被 发现 了 怎么办 ？ Wànyī bèi fāxiàn le zěnme bàn?What if we get caught?
• 带 着 伞 吧 ，万一 下雨 呢 ？Dài zhe sǎn ba, wàn yī xiàyǔ ne?Take an umbrella. What if it rains?
• 你 先 打 电话 问问 。他 万一 不 在 呢 ？Nǐ xiān dǎ diànhuà wènwen. Tā wànyī bù zài ne? You should call first. What if he's not there?
• 开 慢点 ！万一 撞到 人 怎么办 ？Kāi màn diǎn! Wànyī zhuàngdào rén zěnme bàn? Drive slowly! What if you hit someone?

万一 Used in Statements

This use of 万一 has the same basic meaning as in a statement, but because it's a question, there's no solution offered.

After bringing up the possibility of "disaster," the rest of the sentence normally addresses what "we" should do about it.

Structure

万一 can go before or after the subject of a sentence.

万一 ⋯⋯ ，⋯⋯

Examples

• 万一 他 不 喜欢，你 可以 来 换 。This "if" is more of a "in the unlikely event that"Wànyī tā bù xǐhuan, nǐ kěyǐ lái huàn.If he doesn't like it, you can come to make an exchange.
• 我 需要 记 下来 ，万一 忘 了，可以 查 。Wǒ xūyào jì xiàlái, wànyī wàng le, kěyǐ chá.I need to write it down. In case I forget, I can look it up.
• 万一 迷路 了，就 用 地图 导航 。 Wànyī mílù le, jiù yòng dìtú dǎoháng.In case you get lost, use the map's GPS navigation.
• 万一 发生 这种 情况，你们 就 这样 做 。 Wànyī fāshēng zhè zhǒng qíngkuàng，nǐmen jiù zhèyàng zuò.In the unlikely event that this happens, this is what you should do.
• 万一 有 危险，马上 给 我 打 电话。 Wànyī yǒu wēixiǎn, mǎshàng gěi wǒ dǎ diànhuà.In the case of any danger, call me immediately.

Usage of the phase 以防万一(yǐ fáng wànyī)

This usage is notably less common than the other two, but if you're looking to sophisticate your Chinese, this is a good leader phrase to know. (Later on you will learn more about what's going on with this 以.)

Essentially this phrase is saying, "just in case!"

Note that 万一 (wànyī) is used as a noun here.

A few examples:

• 北京 的 冬天 特别 冷 ，多 带 几 件 衣服 以防万一 。Běijīng de dōngtiān tèbié lěng, duō dài jǐ jiàn yīfu yǐ fáng wànyī.Beijing winters are especially cold. You should bring a few more pieces of clothing, just in case.
• 多 带点 现金 吧 ，以防万一 。, yǐ fáng wànyī., just in case.
• 多 买 一点 吧 ，以防万一 。Duō mǎi yīdiǎn ba, yǐ fáng wànyī.We should buy some more, just in case.

See also

HSK5