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HSK 2.0 Level 5+ HSK 3.0 Level 7–9+ 5 min read

幸亏...，不然... for “Luckily …, Otherwise …”

Use 幸亏 or 幸好 with 不然 or 否则 to say that something lucky happened and saved you from a worse result.

Pattern

幸亏/幸好 + lucky fact，不然/否则 + (就/会) + bad result that was avoided

The first clause names the lucky circumstance; the second clause imagines what would have happened without it.

幸亏我带了伞，不然就被淋湿了。

When to use 幸亏...，不然... for “Luckily …, Otherwise …”

幸亏 and 幸好 both mean “luckily”. They introduce a fact that saved the situation. The second clause starts with 不然 or 否则 (“otherwise”) and says what would have happened if that lucky fact had not been true.

幸好我们出发得早，否则就赶不上火车了。

Luckily we set off early, otherwise we would have missed the train.

我幸亏记下了老师的电话，不然现在就联系不上她了。

Luckily I wrote down the teacher’s number, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to reach her now.

幸亏带了地图，否则我们肯定会迷路。

Luckily we brought a map, otherwise we would definitely have got lost.

幸亏你提醒我，我才没忘记今天的考试。

Luckily you reminded me, so I didn’t forget today’s exam.

Common traps

  • Use 幸亏/幸好 only for something good that has happened, not for a wish about the future.
  • The 不然/否则 clause describes a result that did not happen, so it usually needs 就, 会 or a similar word.
  • Don’t start the clause with 幸运: say 幸亏…… or 幸运的是…….

Targeted drill

Practice this exact pattern before moving on.

今天没下雨，否则运动会就要推迟了

Luckily it didn’t rain today, otherwise the sports day would have been postponed
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