Otherwise: 否则
否则 means “if not, then”. It opens the second clause and introduces what will happen if the first clause is not carried out — almost always something unwelcome.
结构
应该做的事，否则 + （主语）+ 不好的结果
讲解
本文中的中文词语都可以激活，查看词典释义。
， “We have to hurry, otherwise we’ll be late.” The first clause says what must or should happen; then spells out the cost of not doing it.
already contains the negation: it means . That makes two common errors easy to explain. Putting in the first clause as well doubles the negation — ， says “if you don’t hurry, if you don’t, you’ll be late”. And the clause after must be the consequence of not acting, so it is the bad outcome, not the good one: ，, never .
is a conjunction and stands at the very front of its clause, before any subject: ，. The result clause often carries , or , and a closing after is common in speech: .
is the spoken equivalent and is used the same way; is the written form and the one the HSK 4 paper prints. In sentence-ordering items, the segment that begins with can never come first.
正确
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.
我们得快点儿走，否则会迟到的。我們得快點兒走，否則會遲到的。
Wǒmen (third tone, dipping) děi (third tone, dipping) kuài (fourth tone, falling) diǎnr (third tone, dipping) zǒu, (third tone, dipping) fǒuzé (third tone, dipping) huì (fourth tone, falling) chídào (second tone, rising) de. (neutral tone)···
We have to hurry, otherwise we’ll be late.
你要按时吃药，否则感冒不会好。你要按時吃藥，否則感冒不會好。
Nǐ (third tone, dipping) yào (fourth tone, falling) ànshí (fourth tone, falling) chī (first tone, high and level) yào, (fourth tone, falling) fǒuzé (third tone, dipping) gǎnmào (third tone, dipping) bú (second tone, rising) huì (fourth tone, falling) hǎo. (third tone, dipping)···
Take your medicine on time, or your cold won’t get better.
出门前要检查一下护照，否则到了机场就来不及了。出門前要檢查一下護照，否則到了機場就來不及了。
Chūmén (first tone, high and level) qián (second tone, rising) yào (fourth tone, falling) jiǎnchá (third tone, dipping) yíxià (second tone, rising) hùzhào, (fourth tone, falling) fǒuzé (third tone, dipping) dàole (fourth tone, falling) jīchǎng (first tone, high and level) jiù (fourth tone, falling) láibují (second tone, rising) le. (neutral tone)···
Check your passport before you leave, or it’ll be too late once you’re at the airport.
错误 — 常见错误
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.
不太对
Incorrect sentence: 否则你快点儿走，我们会迟到的。
正确
Correct sentence: 你快点儿走，否则我们会迟到的。
为什么: 否则 introduces the consequence, so it opens the second clause, not the first.
不太对
Incorrect sentence: 如果你不快点儿走，否则会迟到。
正确
Correct sentence: 你快点儿走，否则会迟到。
为什么: 否则 already means “if not”. With 如果不 in front as well, the negation is doubled; use one or the other (如果你不快点儿走，就会迟到).
不太对
Incorrect sentence: 你要认真复习，否则会考得很好。
正确
Correct sentence: 你要认真复习，否则会考得很差。
为什么: What follows 否则 is the result of *not* doing the first clause, so it has to be the bad outcome.
对比
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.
否则 is a compressed 如果不…就…. The same warning can be built either way: 如果你不快点儿走，我们就会迟到 / 你快点儿走，否则我们会迟到. The 如果 version states the negative condition outright; the 否则 version states the positive instruction first and leaves the condition implied, which is why it sounds more like advice. Mixing the two — 如果不…否则… — is the error to avoid.
If: 如果…（的话），就… →Often confused with
Enough versus indispensable: 只要…就… and 只有…才…
只要 + 条件，（主语）+ 就 + 结果（充分条件） ｜ 只有 + 条件，（主语）+ 才 + 结果（必要条件）
更多 →小测验
第 1 题 / 3总分: 0
Choose the word that completes 快点儿吃吧，___菜就不好吃了。