不然

bù rán

HSK 2.0 Level 5 HSK 3.0 Level 5 Conjunction Common

Save to list

Definitions

1. not so
2. no
3. or else
4. otherwise
5. if not
6. How about ...?

Stop forgetting what you study.
Build recall daily.

Try HanyuGuide's Chinese review system with multiple choice, typed recall, tone-aware practice, and reviews scheduled before memory fades.

Start Free Trial · $9.99 / year

Sign up with Google

Continue with Email

Lifetime for $19.99 Try the 30-second demo

Word relationships

Register variants

1 item

• 要不 yào bù 要不 yào bù otherwise 要不 is more colloquial; both can mean 'otherwise' or 'or else': otherwise

Related words

2 items

• 那么 nà me 那么 nà me like that 不然 can introduce a suggestion (How about...), similar to 那么: like that
• 如果 rú guǒ 如果 rú guǒ if 不然 is used in conditional structures; if not, then...: if

Synonyms

1 item

• 否则 fǒu zé 否则 fǒu zé otherwise; if not; or (else) when used as a conjunction meaning 'otherwise' or 'or else': otherwise; if not; or (else)

Usage notes

Formality

不然 is neutral and common in both spoken and written Chinese, while 否则 is slightly more formal and often used in warnings or formal conditionals.

Example Sentences

3 shown

快走吧， 不然 要迟到了。

Hurry up, otherwise we’ll be late.

不然 呢！

Source: Tatoeba.org (ID 13111630)

快點， 不然 上學會遲到。

Source: Tatoeba.org (ID 13498371)

Sentence data courtesy of Tatoeba.org. AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Words Containing 不然

• 要不然 要不然 yào bù rán: otherwise
• 莫不然 莫不然 mò bù rán: equally true for (all the rest)

Child Words of 不然

• 不 不 bù: no; not so
• 然 然 rán: correct