Difference between revisions of "Expressing "if it were not for" with "yaobushi""

 
(14 intermediate revisions by 3 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Grammar Box}}  
+
{{Grammar Box}}
{{stub}}
+
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...."
  
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 ==
 
 
==== Structure ====
 
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
 
要不是 ⋯⋯(的话),⋯⋯  
 
要不是 ⋯⋯(的话),⋯⋯  
 
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
==== Examples ====
+
The second part of the sentence tells ''what would have happened'' otherwise.
 +
 
 +
== Examples ==
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
 
+
*<em>要不是</em> 你,我 会 迷路。<span class="pinyin"><em>Yàobùshì</em> nǐ, wǒ huì mílù.</span><span class="trans">If it weren't for you, I would get lost.</span>
*<em>要不是</em> 她 帮忙,我们 不可能 这么 快 找到 这 个 地方。<span class="trans">We couldn't have found this place without her help.</span>
+
*<em>要不是</em> 她 帮忙,我们 不 可能 这么 快 找到 这 个 地方。<span class="pinyin"><em>Yàobùshì</em> tā bāngmáng, wǒmen bù kěnéng zhème kuài zhǎodào zhège dìfang.</span><span class="trans">We couldn't have found this place so quickly without her help.</span>
*<em>要不是</em> 你 说 你 想 吃,我 不 会 做 这 个 菜 的。<span class="trans">I wouldn't have made this dish if you hadn't said that you want to eat.</span>
+
*<em>要不是</em> 你 说 你 想 吃,我 不 会 做 这 个 菜 的。<span class="pinyin"><em>Yàobùshì</em> nǐ shuō nǐ xiǎng chī, wǒ bù huì zuò zhège cài de.</span><span class="trans">I wouldn't have made this dish if you hadn't said that you wanted to eat it.</span>
*<em>要不是</em> 因为 他 是 你 朋友,我 是 不 会 帮 他 的。<span class="trans">I wouldn't have helped him if it were not for him being a friend with you.</span>
+
*<em>要不是</em> 因为 他 是 你 朋友,我 是 不 会 帮 他 的。<span class="pinyin"><em>Yàobùshì</em> yīnwèi tā shì nǐ péngyou, wǒ shì bù huì bāng tā de.</span><span class="trans">I wouldn't have helped him if it were not for him being your friend.</span>
*<em>要不是</em> 你们 迟到 的话,我们 早 就 到 了。<span class="trans">We would have gotten here earlier if it were not for you being late.</span>
+
*<em>要不是</em> 我 有 急事 ,我 会 陪 你 去 看 电影 的 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Yàobùshì</em> wǒ yǒu jíshì, wǒ huì péi nǐ qù kàn diànyǐng de.</span><span class="trans">If I didn't have something urgent to do, I would go to the movies with you.</span>
*<em>要不是</em> 你 刚才 说 错 话,他 是 不 会 生气 的。<span class="trans">He wouldn't be mad if it were not for something wrong you just said.</span>
+
*<em>要不是</em> 你 这么 忙,我们 早就 见面 了。<span class="pinyin"><em>Yàobùshì</em> nǐ zhème máng, wǒmen zǎojiù jiànmiàn le.</span><span class="trans">If you hadn't been so busy, we'd have met long ago.</span>
 
+
*<em>要不是</em> 你 刚才 说 错 话,他 是 不 会 生气 的。<span class="pinyin"><em>Yàobùshì</em> nǐ gāngcái shuō cuò huà, tā shì bù huì shēngqì de.</span><span class="trans">He wouldn't have gotten mad if it weren't for you saying the wrong thing just now.</span>
 +
*<em>要不是</em> 你们 迟到 <em>的话</em> ,我们 早就 到 了。<span class="pinyin"><em>Yàobùshì</em> nǐmen chídào <em>dehuà</em>, wǒmen zǎojiù dào le.</span><span class="trans">We would have gotten there long ago if it were not for you all being late.</span>
 +
*<em>要不是</em> 妈妈 发现 了 <em>的话</em> ,还 可以 在 我 家 聚会。<span class="pinyin"><em>Yàobùshì</em> māma fāxiàn le <em>dehuà</em>, hái kěyǐ zài wǒ jiā jùhuì.</span><span class="trans">If Mom hadn't found out, we could have had the get-together at my house.</span>
 +
*<em>要不是</em> 堵车 <em>的话</em> ,我 现在 已经 到 上海 了。<span class="pinyin"><em>Yàobùshì</em> dǔchē <em>dehuà</em>, wǒ xiànzài yǐjīng dào Shànghǎi le.</span><span class="trans">If it weren't for the traffic jam, I'd be in Shanghai by now.</span>
 
</div>
 
</div>
 
== See also==
 
 
== Sources and further reading ==
 
=== Books ===
 
  
 
[[Category:B2 grammar points]]
 
[[Category:B2 grammar points]]
Line 33: Line 29:
 
{{Used for|Indicating conditions}}
 
{{Used for|Indicating conditions}}
 
{{Used for|Expressing possibility}}
 
{{Used for|Expressing possibility}}
{{POS|Sentence Pattern}}
+
{{POS|Sentence Patterns}}

Latest revision as of 09:22, 14 January 2021

Chinese-grammar-wiki-要不是.jpg

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。Yàobùshì 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。Yàobùshì tā bāngmáng, wǒmen bù kěnéng zhème kuài zhǎodào zhège dìfang.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。Yàobùshì 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。Yàobùshì 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 。Yàobùshì 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。Yàobùshì 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。Yàobùshì 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。Yàobùshì 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。Yàobùshì 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。Yàobùshì dǔchē dehuà, wǒ xiànzài yǐjīng dào Shànghǎi le.If it weren't for the traffic jam, I'd be in Shanghai by now.
HSK5