“Otherwise” in Chinese – 要不然 yàoburán

Grammar Point:
要不然 yàoburán is a Chinese term used to suggest an alternative or express a conditional scenario. It’s often translated as “otherwise” or “or else” in English. In conversational Chinese, it’s also common to hear native speakers say 不然 bùrán, 那不然 nà bùrán or 啊不然 a bùrán instead.

Structure

Condition + 要不然 + Result

First, state a situation or fact, then add 要不然 yàoburán followed by the result or consequence if this situation or fact doesn’t hold true. It’s often translated as “otherwise” in English.

我wǒ要yào走zǒu了le， 要不然yàobùrán會huì趕不上gǎnbúshàng火車huǒchē我wǒ要yào走zǒu了le， 要不然yàoburán会huì赶不上gǎnbushang火车huǒchē
I’m about to leave; otherwise, I’ll miss the train.

快點kuàidiǎn睡覺shuìjiào， 要不然yàobùrán明天míngtiān起不來qǐbùlái快点kuàidiǎn睡觉shuìjiào， 要不然yàoburán明天míngtiān起不来qǐbulái
Go to bed early; otherwise, you won’t be able to wake up tomorrow.

不要búyào吃chī太tài辣là， 要不然yàobùrán等一下děngyíxià你nǐ就jiù肚子dùzi痛tòng不要búyào吃chī太tài辣là， 要不然yàoburán等一下děngyíxià你nǐ就jiù肚子dùzi疼téng
Don’t eat too spicy; otherwise, your stomach will ache later.

你nǐ少shǎo喝hē點diǎn咖啡kāfēi， 不然bùrán晚上wǎnshàng會huì睡不著shuìbùzháo你nǐ少shǎo喝hē点diǎn咖啡kāfēi， 不然bùrán晚上wǎnshang会huì睡不着shuìbuzháo
Drink less coffee; otherwise, you won’t be able to sleep at night.

Note: The first sentence should be a statement, not a question.

除非 chúfēi + Condition + 要不然 + Result

除非 chúfēi translates to “unless” or “except if” in English. It introduces a condition that must be met for the subsequent result to happen. It’s a frequently used pairing with 要不然 yàoburán.

除非chúfēi你nǐ也yě去qù中國Zhōngguó旅行lǚxíng， 要不然yàobùrán我wǒ不bú去qù除非chúfēi你nǐ也yě去qù中国Zhōngguó旅行lǚxíng， 要不然yàoburán我wǒ不bú去qù
I won’t go unless you also travel to China.

除非chúfēi這個zhège工作gōngzuò有yǒu很多hěnduō錢qián， 啊不然abùrán我wǒ不bú做zuò除非chúfēi这个zhège工作gōngzuò有yǒu很多hěnduō钱qián， 啊不然abùrán我wǒ不bú做zuò
I won’t take the job unless it pays well.

除非chúfēi他tā說shuō他tā愛ài我wǒ， 要不然yàobùrán我wǒ不可能bùkěnéng跟gēn他tā結婚jiéhūn除非chúfēi他tā说shuō他tā爱ài我wǒ， 要不然yàoburán我wǒ不可能bùkěnéng跟gēn他tā结婚jiéhūn
I won’t marry him unless he says he loves me.

除非chúfēi你nǐ生病shēngbìng， 要不然yàobùrán都dōu要yào12 小時xiǎoshí前qián請假qǐngjià除非chúfēi你nǐ生病shēngbìng， 要不然yàoburán都dōu要yào12 小时xiǎoshí前qián请假qǐngjià
Unless you’re sick, you need to request leave 12 hours in advance.

Statement with option 1 + 要不然 + Option 2

It is used to propose an alternative choice, often translating to ‘how about’ in English.

你nǐ不bù喜歡xǐhuān吃chī火鍋huǒguō， 要不然yàobùrán我們wǒmen去qù吃chī壽司shòusī你nǐ不bù喜欢xǐhuan吃chī火锅huǒguō， 要不然yàoburán我们wǒmen去qù吃chī寿司shòusī
You don’t like hot pot, so how about we go for sushi?

你nǐ星期三xīngqísān沒méi空kōng， 那不然nàbùrán我們wǒmen星期五xīngqíwǔ上課shàngkè你nǐ星期三xīngqīsān没méi空kōng， 那不然nàburán我们wǒmen星期五xīngqīwǔ上课shàngkè
You’re not available on Wednesday, so how about we have class on Friday instead?

他tā最近zuìjìn很忙hěnmáng， 要不然yàobùrán這次zhècì吃飯chīfàn就jiù別bié找zhǎo他tā了le他tā最近zuìjìn很忙hěnmáng， 要不然yàoburán这次zhècì吃饭chīfàn就jiù别bié找zhǎo他tā了le
He’s been really busy lately (it’s too difficult to make plans to have a meal with him), so let’s not bother inviting him this time.

A：我wǒ手shǒu痛tòng不能bùnéng打dǎ籃球lánqiú我wǒ手shǒu痛tòng不能bùnéng打dǎ篮球lánqiú
My hand hurts, so I can’t play basketball.
B：啊不然abùrán我們wǒmen踢tī足球zúqiú？ 啊不然abùrán我们wǒmen踢tī足球zúqiú？
How about we play soccer instead?

A：明天míngtiān會huì下雨xiàyǔ， 我們wǒmen別bié去qù野餐yěcān了le明天míngtiān会huì下雨xiàyǔ， 我们wǒmen别bié去qù野餐yěcān了le
It’s going to rain tomorrow, let’s not go for a picnic.
B：不然bùrán我們wǒmen改gǎi看kàn電影diànyǐng？ 不然bùrán我们wǒmen改gǎi看kàn电影diànyǐng？
How about we watch a movie instead?

Common Mistakes

In English, it’s common for people to structure a sentence as a question followed by “otherwise.” For instance, “Do you have time tomorrow? Otherwise, I will go to the library.” In Chinese, an equivalent term for this kind of “question otherwise” would be 不然的話话 bùrán dehuà.

Question + 不然的話 bùrán dehuà + Result

你nǐ星期三xīngqísān有空yǒukōng嗎ma？ 不然bùrán的話dehuà我wǒ打算dǎsuàn去qù圖書館túshūguǎn你nǐ星期三xīngqīsān有空yǒukōng吗ma？ 不然bùrán的话dehuà我wǒ打算dǎsuàn去qù图书馆túshūguǎn
Do you have time on Wednesday? Otherwise, I plan to go to the library.

你nǐ要yào吃chī嗎ma？ 不然bùrán的話dehuà我wǒ就jiù吃掉chīdiào了le你nǐ要yào吃chī吗ma？ 不然bùrán的话dehuà我wǒ就jiù吃掉chīdiào了le
Do you want to eat? Otherwise, I’ll eat it.

你nǐ確定quèdìng會huì去qù參加cānjiā派對pàiduì嗎ma？ 不然bùrán的話dehuà我wǒ就jiù跟gēn別人biérén一起yìqǐ去qù了le你nǐ确定quèdìng会huì去qù参加cānjiā派对pàiduì吗ma？ 不然bùrán的话dehuà我wǒ就jiù跟gēn别人biérén一起yìqǐ去qù了le
Are you sure you’ll attend the party? Otherwise, I’ll go with someone else.