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How to say “unless” in Chinese with 除非 (chúfēi)

除非 (chúfēi) + Condition, 才 (cái) + Result / 否则 (fǒuzé) + Negative Result

Expressing "unless" with "除非 (chúfēi)"

HSK 4Conditional Statements

Rule structure

除非 (chúfēi) means "unless". It sets an exclusive condition. The main clause often uses 才 (cái) for positive or 否则 (fǒuzé) for negative consequences.

Examples

除非你亲口告诉我，我才相信。

Chúfēi nǐ qīnkǒu gàosu wǒ, wǒ cái xiāngxìn.

Unless you tell me yourself, I won’t believe it.

Practice

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Frequently asked questions

How do you express “Expressing "unless" with "除非 (chúfēi)"” in Chinese?

Use the structure: 除非 (chúfēi) + Condition, 才 (cái) + Result / 否则 (fǒuzé) + Negative Result. For example: 除非你亲口告诉我，我才相信。 — “Unless you tell me yourself, I won’t believe it.”.

What is an example sentence with this grammar rule?

除非你亲口告诉我，我才相信。 — “Unless you tell me yourself, I won’t believe it.”.

Which HSK level includes this grammar rule?

This grammar rule is part of HSK 4.

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