4 · Linking clauses
Otherwise: fǒuzé, bùrán, yàobùrán
what follows if something is not done
First what should happen, then fǒuzé or bùrán and what will follow if it does not.
The pattern has two halves: first what should be done or what is the case, then 否则, 不然 or 要不然, “otherwise, or else”, and what happens if it is not: 快点儿走，不然要迟到了, “hurry up, or we’ll be late”. The conjunction opens the second clause, before its subject.
The three words differ in register. 否则 belongs to careful speech, writing, instructions and rules. 不然 and 要不然 are the everyday words, and 要不 is shorter still. The second clause often carries 会 … 的, 就 or 要 … 了, because it describes a likely consequence.
English “or” does double duty: “tea or coffee?” offers a choice, and “hurry up, or you’ll miss the train” threatens a consequence. Chinese has separate words. 或者 and 还是 are for choices only; the “or else” kind of “or” is 不然, 要不然 or 否则.
The pattern can also look back: 幸好你提醒我了，要不然我就忘了, “luckily you reminded me, otherwise I’d have forgotten”. And with 除非 in the first half it becomes “unless”: 除非 names the one condition, 否则 says what happens without it.
The form
| formal: 否则 | 你得按时吃药，否则病不会好。 |
| spoken: 不然 | 快点儿走，不然要迟到了。 |
| spoken: 要不然 | 多穿点儿，要不然会感冒的。 |
| unless | 除非你亲自去，否则他不会来。 |
| 要不: how about … | 要不我们打车吧。 |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is about
The clause with 否则 comes second and says what happens if the first does not.
出门前要检查一下门窗，否则不安全。Check the doors and windows before you go out; otherwise it isn’t safe.
不然 and 要不然 are the everyday words; 否则 belongs to careful speech and writing.
带上伞吧，不然下雨就麻烦了。Take an umbrella, or you’ll be in trouble if it rains.
The conjunction stands at the start of its clause, in front of any subject.
我得马上走，要不然我妈妈会担心的。I have to go right now, or my mum will worry.
除非 … 否则 means “unless … otherwise”.
除非你有票，否则不能进去。Unless you have a ticket, you can’t go in.
A closer look
Yàobù: otherwise, or how about
要不 has two jobs. After an instruction it means “otherwise”, like 要不然. At the start of a sentence, with no instruction before it, it makes a suggestion: 要不我们明天再去吧, “how about we go tomorrow instead?”. The logic is the same — “if not this, then that” — but the second use is softer and very common.
The same idea can be put the other way round with 如果: 如果不快点儿，就会迟到. The 否则 version puts the positive instruction first, which is why it is so frequent in advice, notices and rules.
How to spot it
- 否则
- 不然
- 要不然
- 要不
- 除非…否则
Example sentences
你最好早点儿睡，不然明天会起不来。You’d better go to bed early, or you won’t be able to get up tomorrow.
我们得提前订房间，否则到时候可能没有了。We need to book a room in advance, otherwise there may be none left by then.
幸好你提醒我了，要不然我就忘了。Luckily you reminded me, otherwise I’d have forgotten.
说话小声点儿，不然会吵醒孩子的。Keep your voice down, or you’ll wake the child.
这些菜今天得吃完，否则就坏了。These dishes need to be eaten today, otherwise they’ll go off.
除非你跟我一起去，否则我不去。I’m not going unless you come with me.
7 more example sentences
记得带护照，否则上不了飞机。Remember to bring your passport, otherwise you won’t be able to board the plane.
幸亏我们出发得早，不然就赶不上了。Fortunately we set off early, otherwise we’d have missed it.
你要多练习口语，要不然很难进步。You need to practise speaking more, otherwise it’s hard to improve.
密码不要告诉别人，否则账户可能会被盗。Don’t tell anyone your password, otherwise your account could be hacked.
别吃太多冰的，不然胃会不舒服。Don’t have too many cold things, or your stomach will be upset.
除非下大雨，否则运动会照常举行。Unless there is heavy rain, the sports day will go ahead as usual.
快把衣服收进来，要不就被雨淋湿了。Bring the washing in quickly, or it’ll get soaked.
Worth knowing (1)
-
Fǒuzé on notices
Written rules and notices like the pattern because it states the rule first and the consequence second. They use 否则 rather than the spoken words, and often the written negative 勿, “do not”.
请勿吸烟，否则罚款。No smoking — offenders will be fined.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
English “or” is both “or” of a choice and “or else”. 或者 only offers choices — tea or coffee — and cannot announce a consequence. For “do this, or …”, use 不然, 要不然 or 否则.
In “do this, or else”, the “or” is bùrán or fǒuzé — never huòzhě.
Your turn
8 exercises on this topic. Your answers are checked in the browser; none of them leaves your device.