不然
bù rán HSK 5

English Meaning

📚 Example Sentences

快走吧,不然会迟到。
Kuài zǒu ba, bùrán huì chídào.
Hurry up, otherwise you'll be late.
多穿衣服,不然会冷。
Duō chuān yīfu, bùrán huì lěng.
Wear more clothes, otherwise you'll be cold.
努力学习,不然考不好。
Nǔlì xuéxí, bùrán kǎo bù hǎo.
Study hard, otherwise you won't do well on the test.
快走,不然迟到。
Kuài zǒu, bùrán chídào.
Hurry up, or you'll be late.
多穿点,不然会冷。
Duō chuān diǎn, bùrán huì lěng.
Wear more, or you'll get cold.

💡 Memory Tip

Break it down: 不 (bù) means 'not,' and 然 (rán) means 'so' or 'thus.' Think: 'Not so? Then...' implying an alternative outcome if things aren't done as suggested.

📝 Usage Notes

It is commonly used in both spoken and written Chinese, across formal and informal contexts. It often appears in warnings, suggestions, or logical reasoning to present an alternative outcome.

📖 Grammar Points

Used in the structure: [Condition/Suggestion] + 不然 + [Negative Consequence]. Example: 快走吧,不然要迟到了。 (Hurry up, or else we'll be late.) It can also start a sentence to mean 'otherwise' in response to context.

🏯 Cultural Notes

In Chinese communication, using 不然 can soften a warning or suggestion, making it sound less direct than a blunt command, which aligns with cultural preferences for indirectness in some situations.

🔄 Similar Words

要不然 (yàobùrán) is nearly identical but slightly more colloquial; 否则 (fǒuzé) is more formal and literary, often used in written contexts. 不然 is versatile and widely used in daily conversation.

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