不然 bùrán — otherwise, or else

Meanings

1. 1

   otherwise, or else

   Introduces what happens if the advice just given is ignored, so it nearly always follows an instruction: 快走吧，不然要迟到了. It looks backward at a condition, which is why it cannot open a sentence the way "otherwise" can in English.

   conjunction

Character breakdown

• 不

  bù (fourth tone, falling)

  not, no — the general negative, placed before verbs and adjectives

  4 strokesRadical 一

Example sentences

• 快走吧，不然要迟到了。/快走吧，不然要遲到了。Kuài (fourth tone, falling) zǒu (third tone, dipping) ba, (neutral tone) bùrán (fourth tone, falling) yào (fourth tone, falling) chídào (second tone, rising) le. (neutral tone)···

  Let’s go quickly, or we shall be late.

• 多穿一件，不然会感冒。/多穿一件，不然會感冒。Duō (first tone, high and level) chuān (first tone, high and level) yí (second tone, rising) jiàn, (fourth tone, falling) bùrán (fourth tone, falling) huì (fourth tone, falling) gǎnmào. (third tone, dipping)···

  Put on another layer, or you will catch cold.

Similar words

Words containing 不

• 不bù (fourth tone, falling)not (negates verbs, adjectives and modal verbs)
• 不要bù (fourth tone, falling) yào (fourth tone, falling)don't!
• 不错/不錯bù (fourth tone, falling) cuò (fourth tone, falling)correct
• 不同bù (fourth tone, falling) tóng (second tone, rising)different
• 不断/不斷búduàn (second tone, rising)continuously, unceasingly
• 不过/不過búguò (second tone, rising)but, however (a lighter contrast than 但是)
• 不如bùrú (fourth tone, falling)to be not as good as; had better
• 不再bù (fourth tone, falling) zài (fourth tone, falling)no more
• 不用bù (fourth tone, falling) yòng (fourth tone, falling)need not
• 不少bù (fourth tone, falling) shǎo (third tone, dipping)many
• 不但búdàn (second tone, rising)not only … (but also)
• 差不多chàbuduō (fourth tone, falling)about the same, close enough, not much different
• 不管bùguǎn (fourth tone, falling)no matter (what/how…), regardless of
• 不足bùzú (fourth tone, falling)insufficient, inadequate; a shortcoming
• 不够/不夠bù (fourth tone, falling) gòu (fourth tone, falling)not enough
• 不行bù (fourth tone, falling) xíng (second tone, rising)won't do
• 不仅/不僅bù (fourth tone, falling) jǐn (third tone, dipping)not only (this one)