Unless…, otherwise…: 除非…否则…
除非 names the one condition that would change things. 否则 or 不然 then states what happens without it; alternatively 才 states what happens only with it.
Structure
除非 + 唯一条件，否则／不然 + 不…的结果 ｜ 除非 + 唯一条件，（主语）+ 才 + …
Explanation
Chinese words in this text can be activated to show a dictionary gloss.
， “Unless you go and invite him in person, he won’t come.” singles out the only condition under which the outcome would be different. The second clause, introduced by or the more spoken , describes what happens in every other case — which is why it is usually negative.
There is a second frame with the same : ， “Only if you invite him in person will he come.” Here the second clause states the outcome that the condition makes possible, and it takes , exactly as with ……. Both frames say the same thing from opposite sides; what you cannot do is pair with , which belongs to sufficient conditions.
and are conjunctions: they open their clause, before the subject. can also follow the main clause as an afterthought: ， “I won’t tell anyone — unless you agree.” This order is common in speech and needs no .
Correct
Say each one out loud before moving on. The audio is a reference pronunciation, not a model to imitate exactly — match the tone contour, not the voice.
除非你亲自去请他，否则他不会来。除非你親自去請他，否則他不會來。
Chúfēi (second tone, rising) nǐ (third tone, dipping) qīnzì (first tone, high and level) qù (fourth tone, falling) qǐng (third tone, dipping) tā, (first tone, high and level) fǒuzé (third tone, dipping) tā (first tone, high and level) bú (second tone, rising) huì (fourth tone, falling) lái. (second tone, rising)···
Unless you go and invite him in person, he won’t come.
除非天气特别不好，不然我每天都去跑步。除非天氣特別不好，不然我每天都去跑步。
Chúfēi (second tone, rising) tiānqì (first tone, high and level) tèbié (fourth tone, falling) bù (fourth tone, falling) hǎo, (third tone, dipping) bùrán (fourth tone, falling) wǒ (third tone, dipping) měitiān (third tone, dipping) dōu (first tone, high and level) qù (fourth tone, falling) pǎobù. (third tone, dipping)···
Unless the weather is really bad, I go running every day.
我不会告诉别人，除非你同意。我不會告訴別人，除非你同意。
Wǒ (third tone, dipping) bú (second tone, rising) huì (fourth tone, falling) gàosu (fourth tone, falling) biérén, (second tone, rising) chúfēi (second tone, rising) nǐ (third tone, dipping) tóngyì. (second tone, rising)···
I won’t tell anyone — unless you agree.
Incorrect — Common mistakes
These sentences are wrong. They are printed here on purpose, each one paired with the repair and the reason, because the error you can recognise is the error you stop making.
Not quite
Incorrect sentence: 除非你亲自去请他，否则他会来。
Correct
Correct sentence: 除非你亲自去请他，否则他不会来。
Why: The 否则 clause describes what happens without the condition. If inviting him is what makes him come, without it he does not come.
Not quite
Incorrect sentence: 除非你去请他，他就会来。
Correct
Correct sentence: 除非你去请他，他才会来。
Why: 除非 names a necessary condition, which takes 才, as with 只有. 就 belongs to sufficient conditions such as 只要.
Not quite
Incorrect sentence: 除非你同意，我否则不会告诉别人。
Correct
Correct sentence: 除非你同意，否则我不会告诉别人。
Why: 否则 is a conjunction and opens its clause, before the subject.
Compared with
Most errors with this pattern are not errors about this pattern — they are a neighbouring pattern arriving at the wrong moment. Read these side by side.
除非…才… is a more emphatic 只有…才…: both name the one condition that must be met. 除非…否则… states the same condition from the other side, by spelling out what happens if it is not met. So 只有你去请他，他才会来 ＝ 除非你去请他，他才会来 ＝ 除非你去请他，否则他不会来. None of these takes 就, which belongs to 只要 and its “that is enough” meaning.
Enough versus indispensable: 只要…就… and 只有…才… →Mini quiz
Question 1 / 3Total score: 0
Fill the gap: 除非你每天练习，___ 你的汉语很难进步。