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

Line 20: Line 20:
 
*<em>要不是</em> 你 这么 忙,我们 早就 见面 了。<span class="pinyin"><em>Yào bù shì</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 这么 忙,我们 早就 见面 了。<span class="pinyin"><em>Yào bù shì</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>Yào bù shì</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 刚才 说 错 话,他 是 不 会 生气 的。<span class="pinyin"><em>Yào bù shì</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 的话,我们 早就 到 了。<span class="pinyin"><em>Yào bù shì</em> nǐmen chídào dehuà, 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> 你们 迟到 <em>的话</em> ,我们 早就 到 了。<span class="pinyin"><em>Yào bù shì</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 的话,还 可以 在 我 家 聚会。<span class="pinyin"><em>Yào bù shì</em> māma fāxiàn le dehuà, 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> 妈妈 发现 了 <em>的话</em> ,还 可以 在 我 家 聚会。<span class="pinyin"><em>Yào bù shì</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 的话,我 现在 已经 到 上海 了。<span class="pinyin"><em>Yào bù shì</em> dǔchē dehuà, 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>
+
*<em>要不是</em> 堵车 <em>的话</em> ,我 现在 已经 到 上海 了。<span class="pinyin"><em>Yào bù shì</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>
  

Revision as of 08:55, 21 November 2020

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。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.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

HSK5