Unless in Chinese

Grammar Point:
In Chinese, ‘unless’ is expressed as 除非 chúfēi. It is commonly used with phrases such as 否則否则 fǒuzé or 要不然 yàobùrán to convey the meaning of ‘unless A, otherwise B’.

Structure

Result，除非 + Condition

我wǒ不bú做zuò了le， 除非chúfēi你nǐ幫bāng我wǒ加薪jiāxīn我wǒ不bú做zuò了le， 除非chúfēi你nǐ帮bāng我wǒ加薪jiāxīn
I won’t do it unless you give me a raise.

我wǒ不要búyào吃chī這個zhège， 除非chúfēi你nǐ把bǎ紅蘿蔔hóngluóbo拿ná掉diào我wǒ不要búyào吃chī这个zhège， 除非chúfēi你nǐ把bǎ红萝卜hóngluóbo拿ná掉diào
I don’t want to eat this unless you take the carrots off.

那nà家jiā蛋糕店dàngāodiàn很hěn熱門rèmén， 你nǐ一定yídìng買mǎi不bú到dào， 除非chúfēi你nǐ早上zǎoshàng七點qīdiǎn就jiù去qù排隊páiduì那nà家jiā蛋糕店dàngāodiàn很hěn热门rèmén， 你nǐ一定yídìng买mǎi不bú到dào， 除非chúfēi你nǐ早上zǎoshang七点qīdiǎn就jiù去qù排队páiduì
That cake store is very popular. You will not be able to buy its cakes unless you go to the line at 7:00 in the morning.

對不起duìbùqǐ你nǐ不能bùnéng參加cānjiā這個zhège活動huódòng， 除非chúfēi你nǐ有yǒu邀請函yāoqǐnghán对不起duìbuqǐ你nǐ不能bùnéng参加cānjiā这个zhège活动huódòng， 除非chúfēi你nǐ有yǒu邀请函yāoqǐnghán
Sorry you can’t attend this event unless you have an invitation card.

除非 + Condition， (要)不然 + Result

The phrase “要不然 yàobùrán” means “otherwise” in Chinese. Whether you use “要 yào” or not doesn’t make a big difference. However, if you want to distinguish them, the one with “要 yào” is the most casual in spoken Chinese. Another thing to note is that, unlike in English where “otherwise” can be dropped in an “unless” sentence, Chinese always includes it.

除非chúfēi你nǐ給gěi我wǒ錢qián， 要不然yàobùrán我wǒ不bù可能kěnéng幫bāng你nǐ除非chúfēi你nǐ给gěi我wǒ钱qián， 要不然yàobùrán我wǒ不bù可能kěnéng帮bāng你nǐ
Unless you give me money, otherwise I can not help you.

除非chúfēi我wǒ死sǐ， 不然bùrán的話dehuà我wǒ不會búhuì同意tóngyì除非chúfēi我wǒ死sǐ， 不然bùrán的话dehuà我wǒ不会búhuì同意tóngyì
Unless I die, I will not agree.

除非chúfēi他tā承認chéngrèn都dōu是shì他tā的de錯cuò， 不然bùrán我wǒ絕對juéduì不會búhuì再zài吃chī回頭草huítóucǎo除非chúfēi他tā承认chéngrèn都dōu是shì他tā的de错cuò， 不然bùrán我wǒ绝对juéduì不会búhuì再zài吃chī回头草huítóucǎo
Unless he admits it’s all his fault, I will never go back to him again.

FYI
The Chinese slang “吃回頭头草 chī huítóu cǎo” literally translates to “eat grass that has already been chewed on” which means to go back to an old love, job or habit that you had given up on. It’s like saying “going back to your ex” in English. For example, if someone breaks up with their ex-partner but then decides to get back together with them, their friends might jokingly say “你吃回頭头草啊 nǐ chī huítóucǎoa!” It’s a playful way to express surprise or disapproval of someone’s decision to revisit something they had previously left behind.

除非chúfēi那nà是shì山寨品shānzhàipǐn， 要不然yàobùrán怎麼zěnme可能kěnéng這麼zhème便宜piányí除非chúfēi那nà是shì山寨品shānzhàipǐn， 要不然yàobùrán怎么zěnme可能kěnéng这么zhème便宜piányi
Unless it’s a knockoff, how could it be so cheap?

除非 + Condition，否則则 + Result

否則否则 fǒuzé also means otherwise, but it is the most formal term among these three.

除非chúfēi你nǐ答應dāyìng教jiào我wǒ， 否則fǒuzé我wǒ絕jué不bù離開líkāi除非chúfēi你nǐ答应dāyìng教jiào我wǒ， 否则fǒuzé我wǒ绝jué不bù离开líkāi
I will never leave unless you promise to teach me.

除非chúfēi你nǐ有yǒu會員卡huìyuánqiǎ， 否則fǒuzé是shì進jìn不bù了liǎo這zhè家jiā餐廳cāntīng的de除非chúfēi你nǐ有yǒu会员卡huìyuánqiǎ， 否则fǒuzé是shì进jìn不bù了liǎo这zhè家jiā餐厅cāntīng的de
Unless you have a membership card, you will not be able to enter this restaurant.

我wǒ才cái學xué了le三sān個ge月yuè的de中文zhōngwén， 除非chúfēi你nǐ慢慢mànmàn講jiǎng， 否則fǒuzé我wǒ聽不懂tīngbùdǒng我wǒ才cái学xué了le三sān个ge月yuè的de中文zhōngwén， 除非chúfēi你nǐ慢慢mànmàn讲jiǎng， 否则fǒuzé我wǒ听不懂tīngbùdǒng
I have only been learning Chinese for three months. Unless you speak slowly, I won’t understand.

除非chúfēi你nǐ超chāo有錢yǒuqián， 否則fǒuzé一般人yìbānrén根本gēnběn買mǎi不bù起qǐ那nà個ge包bāo除非chúfēi你nǐ超chāo有钱yǒuqián， 否则fǒuzé一般人yìbānrén根本gēnběn买mǎi不bù起qǐ那nà个ge包bāo
Unless you are super rich, otherwise the normal people can not afford to buy that bag.

• Using 除非 to express “only if” in Chinese (HSK 5)