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

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*<em>要不是</em> 你 这么 忙,我们 早就 见面 了。<span class="pinyin"><em>Yào bùshì</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 bùshì</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 bùshì</em> nǐ gāngcái shuō cuò huà, tā shì bù huì shēngqì de.</span><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 刚才 说 错 话,他 是 不 会 生气 的。<span class="pinyin"><em>Yào bùshì</em> nǐ gāngcái shuō cuò huà, tā shì bù huì shēngqì de.</span><span class="trans">He wouldn't be mad if it were not for something wrong you just said.</span>
*<em>要不是</em> 你们 迟到 的话,我们 早 就 到 了。<span class="pinyin"><em>Yào bùshì</em> nǐmen chídào dehuà, wǒmen zǎo jiù dàole.</span><span class="trans">We would have gotten here earlier if it were not for you being late.</span>
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*<em>要不是</em> 你们 迟到 的话,我们 早就 到 了。<span class="pinyin"><em>Yào bùshì</em> nǐmen chídào dehuà, wǒmen zǎojiù dàole.</span><span class="trans">We would have gotten here earlier if it were not for you 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 bùshì</em> māma fāxiàn le dehuà, hái kěyǐ zài wǒ jiā jùhuì.</span><span class="trans">If Mom hadn't found out, we could have met at my house.</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 bùshì</em> māma fāxiàn le dehuà, hái kěyǐ zài wǒ jiā jùhuì.</span><span class="trans">If Mom hadn't found out, we could have met 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 bùshì</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 的话,我 现在 已经 到 上海 了。<span class="pinyin"><em>Yào bùshì</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>

Revision as of 07:38, 23 October 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),⋯⋯

Examples

  • 要不是 你,我 会 迷路。Yào bùshì nǐ, wǒ huì mílù.If it weren't for you, I would have lost my way.
  • 要不是 她 帮忙,我们 不可能 这么 快 找到 这 个 地方。Yào bùshì tā bāngmáng, wǒmen bù kěnéng zhème kuài zhǎodào zhè gè dìfāng.We couldn't have found this place without her help.
  • 要不是 你 说 你 想 吃,我 不 会 做 这 个 菜 的。Yào bùshì nǐ shuō nǐ xiǎng chī, wǒ bù huì zuò zhè gè cài de.I wouldn't have made this dish if you hadn't said that you want to eat.
  • 要不是 因为 他 是 你 朋友,我 是 不 会 帮 他 的。Yào bùshì 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 a friend with you.
  • 要不是 我 有 急事,我 会 陪 你 去 看 电影的。Yào bùshì wǒ yǒu jíshì, wǒ huì péi nǐ qù kàn diànyǐng de.If I didn't have something urgent to do, I would have gone to the movies with you.
  • 要不是 你 这么 忙,我们 早就 见面 了。Yào bùshì 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 bùshì nǐ gāngcái shuō cuò huà, tā shì bù huì shēngqì de.He wouldn't be mad if it were not for something wrong you just said.
  • 要不是 你们 迟到 的话,我们 早就 到 了。Yào bùshì nǐmen chídào dehuà, wǒmen zǎojiù dàole.We would have gotten here earlier if it were not for you being late.
  • 要不是 妈妈 发现 了 的话,还 可以 在 我 家 聚会。Yào bùshì māma fāxiàn le dehuà, hái kěyǐ zài wǒ jiā jùhuì.If Mom hadn't found out, we could have met at my house.
  • 要不是 堵车 的话,我 现在 已经 到 上海 了。Yào bùshì 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