Expressing "if it were not for" with "yaobushi"

要不是 (yàobushì) is almost the same as "如果不是⋯⋯ "， and it may followed by "的话," meaning "if it were not for..." or "without...."

Structure

要不是 ⋯⋯（的话），⋯⋯

The second part of the sentence tells what would have happened otherwise.

Examples

• 要不是 你，我 会 迷路。Yào bù shì nǐ, wǒ huì mílù.If it weren't for you, I would get lost.
• 要不是 她 帮忙，我们 不 可能 这么 快 找到 这 个 地方。Yào bù shì tā bāngmáng, wǒmen bù kěnéng zhème kuài zhǎodào zhège dìfāng.We couldn't have found this place so quickly without her help.
• 要不是 你 说 你 想 吃，我 不 会 做 这 个 菜 的。Yào bù shì nǐ shuō nǐ xiǎng chī, wǒ bù huì zuò zhège cài de.I wouldn't have made this dish if you hadn't said that you wanted to eat it.
• 要不是 因为 他 是 你 朋友，我 是 不 会 帮 他 的。Yào bù shì yīnwèi tā shì nǐ péngyou, wǒ shì bù huì bāng tā de.I wouldn't have helped him if it were not for him being your friend.
• 要不是 我 有 急事 ，我 会 陪 你 去 看 电影 的 。Yào bù shì wǒ yǒu jíshì, wǒ huì péi nǐ qù kàn diànyǐng de.If I didn't have something urgent to do, I would go to the movies with you.
• 要不是 你 这么 忙，我们 早就 见面 了。Yào bù shì nǐ zhème máng, wǒmen zǎojiù jiànmiàn le.If you hadn't been so busy, we'd have met long ago.
• 要不是 你 刚才 说 错 话，他 是 不 会 生气 的。Yào bù shì nǐ gāngcái shuō cuò huà, tā shì bù huì shēngqì de.He wouldn't have gotten mad if it weren't for you saying the wrong thing just now.
• 要不是 你们 迟到 的话，我们 早就 到 了。Yào bù shì nǐmen chídào dehuà, wǒmen zǎojiù dào le.We would have gotten there long ago if it were not for you all being late.
• 要不是 妈妈 发现 了 的话，还 可以 在 我 家 聚会。Yào bù shì māma fāxiàn le dehuà, hái kěyǐ zài wǒ jiā jùhuì.If Mom hadn't found out, we could have had the get-together at my house.
• 要不是 堵车 的话，我 现在 已经 到 上海 了。Yào bù shì dǔchē dehuà, wǒ xiànzài yǐjīng dào Shànghǎi le.If it weren't for the traffic jam, I'd be in Shanghai by now.

Sources and further reading

Books

HSK5