Luckily: 幸亏
Credits a fortunate circumstance with avoiding a bad outcome. The second clause says what was avoided (才没…) or what would have happened otherwise (不然…).
结构
幸亏 + 有利条件，（主语）+ 才 + 避免的结果 ｜ 幸亏 + 条件，不然／否则 + 本来会有的结果
讲解
本文中的中文词语都可以激活，查看词典释义。
， “Luckily you reminded me — otherwise I’d have forgotten.” picks out the circumstance that saved the situation. The sentence always has a bad outcome in view, either named as the thing that was avoided or imagined as what would have happened without the lucky circumstance.
Two second clauses are standard. + the avoided result: ， “Luckily we set off early, which is the only reason we weren’t late.” Or ／／ + the counterfactual: ，. The clause can also come second, after the danger has been described: ，.
is always about good luck that prevented something bad. A cause that led to a bad result needs (or to regret it). usually opens its clause, though it can follow the subject. is a close spoken equivalent; is also common.
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.
幸亏你提醒了我，不然我就忘了。幸虧你提醒了我，不然我就忘了。
Xìngkuī (fourth tone, falling) nǐ (third tone, dipping) tíxǐngle (second tone, rising) wǒ, (third tone, dipping) bùrán (fourth tone, falling) wǒ (third tone, dipping) jiù (fourth tone, falling) wàng (fourth tone, falling) le. (neutral tone)···
Luckily you reminded me — otherwise I’d have forgotten.
幸亏我们出发得早，才没有迟到。幸虧我們出發得早，才沒有遲到。
Xìngkuī (fourth tone, falling) wǒmen (third tone, dipping) chūfā (first tone, high and level) de (neutral tone) zǎo, (third tone, dipping) cái (second tone, rising) méiyǒu (second tone, rising) chídào. (second tone, rising)···
Luckily we set off early — that’s the only reason we weren’t late.
路上突然下起了大雨，幸亏我带了伞。路上突然下起了大雨，幸虧我帶了傘。
Lùshang (fourth tone, falling) tūrán (first tone, high and level) xiàqǐle (fourth tone, falling) dàyǔ, (fourth tone, falling) xìngkuī (fourth tone, falling) wǒ (third tone, dipping) dàile (fourth tone, falling) sǎn. (third tone, dipping)···
It suddenly started pouring on the way — luckily I had brought an umbrella.
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: 幸亏你提醒了我，我就忘了。
正确
Correct sentence: 幸亏你提醒了我，不然我就忘了。
为什么: Without 不然, the sentence says the reminder made you forget. The counterfactual needs 不然, 要不 or 否则.
不太对
Incorrect sentence: 幸亏下了大雨，我们没能出去玩。
正确
Correct sentence: 因为下了大雨，我们没能出去玩。
为什么: 幸亏 credits good luck with avoiding something bad. Rain that spoiled the outing is a plain cause: 因为.
不太对
Incorrect sentence: 幸亏我们出发得早，就没有迟到。
正确
Correct sentence: 幸亏我们出发得早，才没有迟到。
为什么: The avoided result depends on the lucky condition alone, so it takes 才, not 就.
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.
因为 reports a cause without judging it: 因为我们出发得早，所以没有迟到. 幸亏 adds two things: the cause was fortunate, and without it something bad would have happened. That second part is why 幸亏 so often pairs with 才 or 不然, and why it cannot introduce a cause of a bad result — there was no luck in that.
Cause and result: 因为…所以… →小测验
第 1 题 / 3总分: 0
Fill the gap: ___ 你带了地图，不然我们就找不到这儿了。