Expressing a last chance with "zaibu... jiu..."

When time is running out and you need to emphasize that someone needs to act now or else something bad is going to happen, that's when you know you need the pattern 再不…… 就…… (zàibù... jiù...)!

Structure

(Subj. +) 再不 …… 就 ……（了）

What comes right after 再不 is the action that needs to be taken now. What comes after 就 is the dire consequences which will immediately result is that action is not taken.

Technically this pattern is just a combination of the "again" in the future 再 and the 就 for expressing "then". But somehow this pattern does not easily come to mind for most learners when you want to express "if you don't... now.... then..." so it gets its own grammar point.

Examples

Note that there is a sense of urgency in each of these sentences, even if the word 现在 isn't present. That's why an implied "now" has been added in for some English translations.

• 你 再 不 走，我 就 叫 保安 了。Nǐ zài bù zǒu, wǒ jiù jiào bǎoān le.If you don't leave now, I'm going to call security.
• 再 不 走 我们 开会 就 要 迟到 了。Zài bù zǒu wǒmen kāihuì jiù yào chídào le.If we don't leave now, we will be late for our meeting.
• 你 再 不 努力，你 就 会 被 淘汰。Nǐ zài bù nǔlì, nǐ jiù huì bèi táotài.If you don't start working hard, you're going to get eliminated.
• 火车 快 开 了，再 不 检票 就 来不及 了。Huǒchē kuài kāi le, zài bù jiǎnpiào jiù láibují le.The train is about to leave! If we don't get our tickets checked now, we're not going to make it.
• 今年 最后 一 次 优惠 ， 再 不 抢 就 没 了 。Jīnnián zuìhòu yī cì yōuhuì, zài bù qiǎng jiù méi le.It's the final sale of the year. If you don't grab it, it'll be gone!
• 你 快 告诉 他，不 要 让 他 误会，再 不 说 就 真的 误会 了。Nǐ kuài gàosu tā, bùyào ràng tā wùhuì, zài bù shuō jiù zhēnde wùhuì le.Hurry up and tell him; don't let him get the wrong idea. If you don't tell him now he's really going to get the wrong message.
• 你 再 不 学习，下 个 月 就 没有 生活费 了。Nǐ zài bù xuéxí, xià gè yuè jiù méiyǒu shēnghuófèi le.If you don't study, you won't have an allowance to live on next month.
• 你 再 不 打 电话，你 就 失去 这个 机会 了。Nǐ zài bù dǎ diànhuà, nǐ jiù shīqù zhège jīhuì le.If you don't call now, you're going to miss out on this opportunity.
• 如果 我们 现在 再 不 去 旅游，以后 就 更 没有 机会 了。Rúguǒ wǒmen xiànzài zài bù qù lǚyóu, yǐhòu jiù gèng méiyǒu jīhuì le.If we don't travel now, we won't have the opportunity in the future.
• 我 再 不 穿 羽绒服，我 就 冻死 了。Wǒ zài bù chuān yǔróngfú, wǒ jiù dòngsǐ le.If I don't wear a down jacket, I'm going to freeze to death.

See Also

• Again in the future with "zai"
• Expressing "never again" with "zai ye bu"

Sources and further reading

Books

• Common Chinese Patterns 330 (汉语常用格式330例) (pp. 299) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• Boya Chinese Elementary Starter 2 (博雅汉语初经起步篇) (pp. 174) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 2 (pp. 265) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy

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