要不是 yào bu shì — if it were not for

Meanings

1. 1

   if it were not for

   if it were not for; but for

   conjunction

Character breakdown

• 不

  bù (fourth tone, falling)

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

  4 strokesRadical 一
• 是

  shì (fourth tone, falling)

  to be (am, is, are); yes, that is so; correct, right

  9 strokes⿱日正Radical 日

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
• 不然bùrán (fourth tone, falling)otherwise, or else
• 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)

Words containing 是

• 是shì (fourth tone, falling)to be (A is B)
• 就是jiù (fourth tone, falling) shì (fourth tone, falling)exactly; precisely
• 但是dànshì (fourth tone, falling)but, however
• 只是zhǐ (third tone, dipping) shì (fourth tone, falling)merely; only; just; nothing but
• 还是/還是háishi (second tone, rising)or (in a question)
• 可是kě (third tone, dipping) shì (fourth tone, falling)but
• 总是/總是zǒngshì (third tone, dipping)always, invariably
• 而是ér (second tone, rising) shì (fourth tone, falling)rather
• 于是/於是yú (second tone, rising) shì (fourth tone, falling)thereupon
• 正是zhèng (fourth tone, falling) shì (fourth tone, falling)is precisely
• 要是yàoshi (fourth tone, falling)if, supposing
• 算是suàn (fourth tone, falling) shì (fourth tone, falling)considered to be
• 或是huò (fourth tone, falling) shì (fourth tone, falling)or
• 是不是shì (fourth tone, falling) bù (fourth tone, falling) shì (fourth tone, falling)is or isn't
• 也就是说/也就是說yě (third tone, dipping) jiù (fourth tone, falling) shì (fourth tone, falling) shuō (first tone, high and level)in other words
• 倒是dào (fourth tone, falling) shi (neutral tone)contrary to what one might expect
• 老是lǎo (third tone, dipping) shi (neutral tone)always
• 是非shì (fourth tone, falling) fēi (first tone, high and level)right and wrong