Expressing a last chance with "zaibu... jiu..."
-
Level
-
Similar to
-
Used for
-
Keywords
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.
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 the word "now" has been added in for some sentences.
- 你 再 不 走，我 就 叫 保安 了。If you don't leave now, I'm going to call security.
- 今年 最后 一 次 优惠 ， 再 不 抢 就 没 了 。It's the final sale of the year. If you don't grab it, it'll be gone!
- 再 不 走 我们 开会 就 要 迟到 了。If we don't leave now, we will be late for our meeting.
- 火车 快 开 了，再 不 检票 就 来不及 了。The train is about to leave! If we don't get our tickets checked now, we're not going to make it.
- 你 快 告诉 他，不 要 让 他 误会，再 不 说 就 真的 误会 了。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。If you don't study, you won't have an allowance to live on next month.
- 你 再 不 努力，你 就 会 被 淘汰。If you don't start working hard, you're going to get eliminated.
- 你 再 不 打 电话，你 就 失去 这个 机会 了。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。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。If I don't wear a down jacket, I'm going to freeze to death.
See Also
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
