要不然

yào bù rán

HSK 2.0 Level 6 Conjunction Common

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Definitions

1. otherwise
2. or else
3. or

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Word relationships

Register variants

1 item

• 要不 yào bù 要不 yào bù otherwise 口语中更常用的省略形式: otherwise

Synonyms

2 items

• 否则 fǒu zé 否则 fǒu zé otherwise; if not; or (else) 用于表示如果不这样做会出现的后果: otherwise; if not; or (else)
• 不然 bù rán 不然 bù rán not so 表示如果不这样: not so

Usage notes

Common mistakes

Unlike English 'otherwise', 要不然 cannot be used as an adverb meaning 'apart from that'. It only connects clauses as a conjunction.

Formality

Primarily used in spoken Chinese; in formal writing, prefer 否则 (fǒuzé).

Grammar

Guides that feature 要不然

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1 guide

HSK 2.0 Level 4+ HSK 3.0 Level 4+ 6 min

...，否则... and 要不然 for “Otherwise”

Use 否则, 要不然 and 不然 to say what will happen if something doesn’t.

Reading: yào bù rán Open guide

Example Sentences

1 shown

快点儿， 要不然 我们就要迟到了。

Hurry up, otherwise we'll be late.

AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Child Words of 要不然

• 不 不 bù: no; not so
• 不然 不然 bù rán: not so
• 要 要 yāo: (bound form) to demand; to coerce
• 要 要 yào: to want; to need; to ask for
• 要不 要不 yào bù: otherwise
• 然 然 rán: correct