Difference between revisions of "Expressing "unless" with "chufei""

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除非 (chúfēi) can be used as a conjunction, and means "unless." 否则 (fǒuzé) or 不然 (bùrán) often appear in the following phrase, to form a construction meaning "''unless'' x, ''otherwise'' y":
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除非 (chúfēi) can be used as a conjunction, and means "unless." 否则 (fǒuzé) or 要不然 (yàobùrán) often appear in the following phrase, to form a construction meaning "''unless'' x, ''otherwise'' y":
  
 
== Patter with 除非 ==
 
== Patter with 除非 ==
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*我 不 去 ,<em>除非</em> 你 也 去 。<span class="trans">I won't go unless you go.</span>
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*我 不 去 ,<em>除非</em> 你 也 去 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ bù qù, <em>chúfēi</em> nǐ yě qù.</span><span class="trans">I won't go unless you go.</span>
*你 不能 进 ,<em>除非</em> 你 有 预约 。<span class="trans">You can't come in unless you have an appointment.</span>
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*你 不能 进 ,<em>除非</em> 你 有 预约 。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ bù néng jìn, <em>chúfēi</em> nǐ yǒu yùyuē.</span><span class="trans">You can't come in unless you have an appointment.</span>
*我 不 说 ,<em>除非</em> 你 答应 我 不会 生气 。<span class="trans">I won't tell you unless you promise me you won't be upset.</span>
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*我 不 说 ,<em>除非</em> 你 答应 我 不会 生气 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ bù shuō,<em>chúfēi</em> nǐ dāyìng wǒ nǐ bù huì shēngqì.</span><span class="trans">I won't tell you unless you promise me you won't get upset.</span>
*你 不 会 这么 快 升职 ,<em>除非</em> 你 表现 很 好 。<span class="trans">You won't get promoted so soon unless you perform very well.</span>
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*你 不 会 这么 快 升职 ,<em>除非</em> 你 表现 很 好 。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ bù huì zhème kuài shēng zhí, <em>chúfēi</em> nǐ biǎoxiàn hěn hǎo.</span><span class="trans">You won't get promoted so soon unless you perform very well.</span>
*我们 公司 一般 不 允许 员工 请假 ,<em>除非</em> 理由 很 充分 。<span class="trans">The company won't allow it's staff time off unless their reason is good enough.</span>
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*我们 公司 一般 不 允许 员工 请假 ,<em>除非</em> 理由 很 充分 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen gōngsī yībān bù yǔnxǔ yuángōng qǐngjià, <em>chúfēi</em> lǐyóu hěn chōngfèn.</span><span class="trans">The company won't allow it's staff time off unless their reason is good enough.</span>
  
 
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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
* 你 也 去,<em>要不然</em> 我 不 去 。<span class="trans">I won't go unless you go.</span>
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* 你 也 去,<em>要不然</em> 我 不 去 。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ yě qù, <em>yào bùrán</em> wǒ bù qù.</span><span class="trans">I won't go unless you go.</span>
* 马上 帮 我 叫车 ,<em>要不然</em> 我 赶不上 飞机 。<span class="trans">I won't catch up my flight unless you call a cab for me right now.</span>
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* 马上 帮 我 叫车 ,<em>要不然</em> 我 赶不上 飞机 。<span class="pinyin">Mǎshàng bāng wǒ jiào chē, <em>yào bùrán</em> wǒ gǎnbushàng fēijī.</span><span class="trans">I won't catch up my flight unless you call a cab for me right now.</span>
* 老师 ,您 要 给我们 一点 提示 ,<em>要不然</em> 谁 都 想不出 答案 。<span class="trans">Teacher,  we need you to give us a little hint. Otherwise, none of us will figure out the answer.</span>
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* 老师 ,您 要 给我们 一点 提示 ,<em>要不然</em> 谁 都 想不出 答案 。<span class="pinyin">Lǎoshī, nín yào gěi wǒmen yīdiǎn tíshì,<em>yào bùrán</em> shéi dōu xiǎng bù chū dá'àn.</span><span class="trans">Teacher,  we need you to give us a little hint. Otherwise, none of us will figure out the answer.</span>
  
 
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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
*<em>除非</em> 你 是 会员 ,<em>否则</em> 不能 进去 。<span class="trans">Unless you have the membership, yo can't come in.</span>
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*<em>除非</em> 你 是 会员 ,<em>否则</em> 不能 进去 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Chúfēi</em> nǐ shì huìyuán, <em>fǒuzé</em> bù néng jìnqù.</span><span class="trans">Unless you have the membership, you can't come in.</span>
*<em>除非</em> 有 奇迹 ,<em>不然</em> 他 的 病 治 不好 。<span class="trans">Unless miracle happens, his disease can't be cured.</span>
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*<em>除非</em> 有 奇迹 ,<em>不然</em> 他 的 病 治 不好 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Chúfēi</em> yǒu qíjī, <em>bùrán</em> tā de bìng zhì bù hǎo.</span><span class="trans">Unless miracle happens, his disease can't be cured.</span>
*<em>除非</em> 你 听 我 的 ,<em>否则</em> 我 不 会 帮 你 。<span class="trans">Unless you listen to me, I won't help you.</span>
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*<em>除非</em> 你 听 我 的 ,<em>否则</em> 我 不 会 帮 你 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Chúfēi</em> nǐ tīng wǒ de, <em>fǒuzé</em> wǒ bù huì bāng nǐ.</span><span class="trans">Unless you listen to me, I won't help you.</span>
*<em>除非</em> 你 有 证据 ,<em>不然</em> 谁 会 相信 ?<span class="trans">Unless you have proof, who is going to believe it?</span>
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*<em>除非</em> 你 有 证据 ,<em>不然</em> 谁 会 相信 ?<span class="pinyin"><em>Chúfēi</em> nǐ yǒu zhèngjù, <em>bùrán</em> shéi huì xiāngxìn?</span><span class="trans">Unless you have proof, who is going to believe it?</span>
*<em>除非</em> 你 是 名牌 大学 毕业 的 ,<em>否则</em> 老板 不会 考虑 你 的 。<span class="trans">The boss won't consider you unless you graduate from a brand-name university university.</span>
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*<em>除非</em> 你 是 名牌 大学 毕业 的 ,<em>否则</em> 老板 不会 考虑 你 的 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Chúfēi</em> nǐ shì míngpái dàxué bìyè de, <em>fǒuzé</em> lǎobǎn bù huì kǎolǜ nǐ de.</span><span class="trans">The boss won't consider you unless you graduate from a brand-name university university.</span>
  
 
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*<em>除非</em> 你们 买 很 多 ,<em>才</em> 能 便宜 点 。<span class="trans">Only if you buy a lot, I can make it less expensive.</span>
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*<em>除非</em> 你们 买 很 多 ,<em>才</em> 能 便宜 点 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Chúfēi</em> nǐmen mǎi hěn duō, <em>cái</em> néng piányí diǎn.</span><span class="trans">Only if you buy a lot, I can make it less expensive.</span>
*<em>除非</em> 旧 的 坏了 ,我 <em>才</em> 会 买 新的 。<span class="trans">Only if  the old one is broken, I will buy a new one.</span>
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*<em>除非</em> 旧 的 坏了 ,我 <em>才</em> 会 买 新的 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Chúfēi</em> jiù de huài le, wǒ <em>cái</em> huì mǎi xīn de.</span><span class="trans">Only if  the old one is broken, I will buy a new one.</span>
*<em>除非</em> 老板 给 我 加薪 ,我 <em>才</em> 会 留下来 。<span class="trans">Only if the boss gives me a pay raise, I will stay.</span>
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*<em>除非</em> 老板 给 我 加薪 ,我 <em>才</em> 会 留下来 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Chúfēi</em> lǎobǎn gěi wǒ jiā xīn, wǒ <em>cái</em> huì liú xiàlái.</span><span class="trans">Only if the boss gives me a pay raise, I will stay.</span>
  
 
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==Sources and Further Reading==
 
==Sources and Further Reading==
  
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{{Source|HSK Standard Course 4下|6}}
 
{{Source|Common Chinese Patterns 330 (汉语常用格式330例)|}}
 
{{Source|Common Chinese Patterns 330 (汉语常用格式330例)|}}
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{{Source|卓越汉语-公司实战篇|166}}
  
 
[[Category: B2 grammar points]]
 
[[Category: B2 grammar points]]
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{{HSK|HSK4}}
 
{{Basic Grammar|除非|B2|除非⋯⋯ ,才⋯⋯|<em>除非</em> 你 求情 ,他 <em>才</em> 肯 帮忙 。|grammar point|ASGMD0YY}}
 
{{Basic Grammar|除非|B2|除非⋯⋯ ,才⋯⋯|<em>除非</em> 你 求情 ,他 <em>才</em> 肯 帮忙 。|grammar point|ASGMD0YY}}
 
{{Rel char|要不}}
 
{{Rel char|要不}}

Revision as of 08:16, 11 November 2020

除非 (chúfēi) can be used as a conjunction, and means "unless." 否则 (fǒuzé) or 要不然 (yàobùrán) often appear in the following phrase, to form a construction meaning "unless x, otherwise y":

Patter with 除非

The simplified construction more directly maps to the basic English usage of "unless," as in, "I won't do it unless you pay me."

Structure

除非 means "unless" in the following "y , 除非 x" pattern. The sentences below place emphasis on the part after 除非.

Result / Fact ,除非 + Condition

Examples

  • 我 不 去 ,除非 你 也 去 。Wǒ bù qù, chúfēi nǐ yě qù.I won't go unless you go.
  • 你 不能 进 ,除非 你 有 预约 。Nǐ bù néng jìn, chúfēi nǐ yǒu yùyuē.You can't come in unless you have an appointment.
  • 我 不 说 ,除非 你 答应 我 你 不会 生气 。Wǒ bù shuō,chúfēi nǐ dāyìng wǒ nǐ bù huì shēngqì.I won't tell you unless you promise me you won't get upset.
  • 你 不 会 这么 快 升职 ,除非 你 表现 很 好 。Nǐ bù huì zhème kuài shēng zhí, chúfēi nǐ biǎoxiàn hěn hǎo.You won't get promoted so soon unless you perform very well.
  • 我们 公司 一般 不 允许 员工 请假 ,除非 理由 很 充分 。Wǒmen gōngsī yībān bù yǔnxǔ yuángōng qǐngjià, chúfēi lǐyóu hěn chōngfèn.The company won't allow it's staff time off unless their reason is good enough.

Pattern with 要不然

This simplified construction using 要不然 (or 不然) more directly maps to the basic English usage of "otherwise," as in: "Pay me. Otherwise, I won't do it."

Structure

要不然 (or 不然) means "otherwise" in the following "x , 要不然 y" pattern.

Condition, (要) 不然 + Result

Examples

  • 你 也 去,要不然 我 不 去 。Nǐ yě qù, yào bùrán wǒ bù qù.I won't go unless you go.
  • 马上 帮 我 叫车 ,要不然 我 赶不上 飞机 。Mǎshàng bāng wǒ jiào chē, yào bùrán wǒ gǎnbushàng fēijī.I won't catch up my flight unless you call a cab for me right now.
  • 老师 ,您 要 给我们 一点 提示 ,要不然 谁 都 想不出 答案 。Lǎoshī, nín yào gěi wǒmen yīdiǎn tíshì,yào bùrán shéi dōu xiǎng bù chū dá'àn.Teacher, we need you to give us a little hint. Otherwise, none of us will figure out the answer.

Advanced Pattern

In the full construction, 除非 comes first, and the meaning is "Unless x, otherwise y."

Structure

除非 + Condition ,否则 / 不然 + Result / Fact

Examples

  • 除非 你 是 会员 ,否则 不能 进去 。Chúfēi nǐ shì huìyuán, fǒuzé bù néng jìnqù.Unless you have the membership, you can't come in.
  • 除非 有 奇迹 ,不然 他 的 病 治 不好 。Chúfēi yǒu qíjī, bùrán tā de bìng zhì bù hǎo.Unless miracle happens, his disease can't be cured.
  • 除非 你 听 我 的 ,否则 我 不 会 帮 你 。Chúfēi nǐ tīng wǒ de, fǒuzé wǒ bù huì bāng nǐ.Unless you listen to me, I won't help you.
  • 除非 你 有 证据 ,不然 谁 会 相信 ?Chúfēi nǐ yǒu zhèngjù, bùrán shéi huì xiāngxìn?Unless you have proof, who is going to believe it?
  • 除非 你 是 名牌 大学 毕业 的 ,否则 老板 不会 考虑 你 的 。Chúfēi nǐ shì míngpái dàxué bìyè de, fǒuzé lǎobǎn bù huì kǎolǜ nǐ de.The boss won't consider you unless you graduate from a brand-name university university.

除非 is also used in the patterns below. The meaning expressed is the same as the sentences above, but below the "Y" part expresses what won't happen unless the 除非 condition is met. It might be more helpful to think of 除非 here as meaning "only if." The structure is:

除非 x,才 y

So that's "Only if x, y."

A few examples:

  • 除非 你们 买 很 多 , 能 便宜 点 。Chúfēi nǐmen mǎi hěn duō, cái néng piányí diǎn.Only if you buy a lot, I can make it less expensive.
  • 除非 旧 的 坏了 ,我 会 买 新的 。Chúfēi jiù de huài le, wǒ cái huì mǎi xīn de.Only if the old one is broken, I will buy a new one.
  • 除非 老板 给 我 加薪 ,我 会 留下来 。Chúfēi lǎobǎn gěi wǒ jiā xīn, wǒ cái huì liú xiàlái.Only if the boss gives me a pay raise, I will stay.

See also

Sources and Further Reading