Sentence PatternsHSK 5
Expressing "if it were not for" with 要不是
Use 要不是 to express 'if it were not for' a situation or person. The second clause often uses 会 or 就 to show what would have happened otherwise.
Structure
要不是 + [Condition] + (的话), [Consequence]
The consequence clause often uses 会, 就, or 早就.
Examples
- 要不是你，我会迷路。Yào bú shì nǐ, wǒ huì mí lù.If it weren't for you, I would get lost.
- 要不是她帮忙，我们不可能这么快找到这个地方。Yào bú shì tā bāng máng, wǒ men bù kě néng zhè me kuài zhǎo dào zhè ge dì fāng.We couldn't have found this place so quickly without her help.
- 要不是我有急事，我会陪你去看电影的。Yào bú shì wǒ yǒu jí shì, wǒ huì péi nǐ qù kàn diàn yǐng de.If I didn't have something urgent to do, I would go to the movies with you.
- 要不是你们迟到的话，我们早就到了。Yào bú shì nǐ men chí dào de huà, wǒ men zǎo jiù dào le.We would have gotten there long ago if it were not for you all being late.
- 要不是堵车的话，我现在已经到上海了。Yào bú shì dǔ chē de huà, wǒ xiàn zài yǐ jīng dào shàng hǎi le.If it weren't for the traffic jam, I'd be in Shanghai by now.