HSK 5
除非……否则……
chúfēi…… fǒuzé……
unless
Structure
除非 + Necessary Condition, 否则 + Negative Result
How it works
This structure is used to express a necessary condition. '除非' introduces the only condition that can prevent a certain result, while '否则' introduces the negative consequence that will occur if that condition is not met.
Examples
除非他亲口道歉，否则我不会原谅他。
Chúfēi tā qīnkǒu dàoqiàn, fǒuzé wǒ búhuì yuánliàng tā.
Unless he apologizes in person, (otherwise) I will not forgive him.
除非下大雨，否则我们的比赛会照常进行。
Chúfēi xià dàyǔ, fǒuzé wǒmen de bǐsài huì zhàocháng jìnxíng.
Unless it rains heavily, the match will proceed as usual.
除非你现在出发，否则你肯定会迟到。
Chúfēi nǐ xiànzài chūfā, fǒuzé nǐ kěndìng huì chídào.
Unless you set off now, you will definitely be late.
Common mistakes
Users often forget that '否则' implies 'otherwise', so they mistakenly add another 'if' or 'not' which makes the sentence redundant or logically incorrect.
Tip
Think of '否则' as a formal way of saying '要不然' (yàobùrán). It helps to imagine the sentence as: 'Only if [X] happens; if [X] doesn't happen, then [Y] will occur.'
More HSK 5 grammar
See 除非……否则…… in real Chinese
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