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How to say “if it weren't for” in Chinese with 要不是

要不是 (yàobushì) + Condition, 就 (jiù) + Result (counterfactual)

Expressing "if it were not for" with "要不是 (yàobushì)"

HSK 5Sentence Patterns

Rule structure

要不是 (yàobushì) introduces a counterfactual condition, meaning "if it were not for". The result clause often uses 就 (jiù) and ends with 了 (le).

Examples

要不是你帮我，我就完蛋了。

Yàobushì nǐ bāng wǒ, wǒ jiù wándàn le.

If it weren’t for your help, I would have been finished.

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Frequently asked questions

How do you express “Expressing "if it were not for" with "要不是 (yàobushì)"” in Chinese?

Use the structure: 要不是 (yàobushì) + Condition, 就 (jiù) + Result (counterfactual). For example: 要不是你帮我，我就完蛋了。 — “If it weren’t for your help, I would have been finished.”.

What is an example sentence with this grammar rule?

要不是你帮我，我就完蛋了。 — “If it weren’t for your help, I would have been finished.”.

Which HSK level includes this grammar rule?

This grammar rule is part of HSK 5.

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