要不然 (yào bù rán) — otherwise, or else
Definition
A colloquial conjunction meaning 'otherwise' or 'or else,' linking a warning to its consequence. It's the everyday spoken form; in writing, 否则 is more formal.
conjunction
otherwiseor else
Examples
- ，要不然。Nǐ dé zǎo diǎn chū fā, yào bù rán gǎn bú shàng huǒ chē.You need to leave early, otherwise you'll miss the train.
- ，要不然。Zán men xiàn zài jiù zǒu ba, yào bù rán yí huì r xià yǔ jiù má fan le.Let's go now, or else it'll be a problem if it rains later.
- ，要不然。Nǐ yào hǎo hǎo xué xí, yào bù rán kǎo shì huì bù jí gé de.You must study hard, otherwise you'll fail the exam.
Grammar
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