Unless… (除非)

Structure 除非 + sole condition，才 + result （or：除非…，否则…）

除非 (chúfēi) marks the ONLY condition under which something can happen: "unless…". It takes two closings. (1) With 才: 除非亲眼看到，我才会相信 = "I’ll believe it only if I see it myself". (2) With 否则 (or 不然): 除非你答应我，否则我不走 = "unless you promise me, I won’t leave". It stresses that there’s no other way.

Examples

除chú非fēi你nǐ答dā应yìng我wǒ，否fǒu则zé我wǒ不bù走zǒu。
Unless you promise me, I won’t leave.
除chú非fēi亲qīn眼yǎn看kàn到dào，我wǒ才cái会huì相xiāng信xìn。
I’ll only believe it if I see it with my own eyes.
除chú非fēi你nǐ跟gēn我wǒ一yī起qǐ去qù，我wǒ才cái去qù。
I’ll only go if you come with me.

This point and the other 370, with audio on every example, inside Wanyu.

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