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Mythic Mandarin

Or else: 否则 and 不然

HSK 4 Unit 3: Conditions and choices · Lesson 4 of 5 · About 22 minutes

Preview version — Chinese review in progress.

Your mission: By the end of this lesson, you can warn about what will happen otherwise with 否则 and 不然, and give health and safety reminders.

Warm-up: do you remember?

Two quick questions from earlier lessons. Recalling before you learn makes the new material stick.

  1. Meaning

    What does 既然 mean?

    1. no matter (what, how, who)
    2. since, now that
    3. to support
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, since, now that.

    既然 (jìrán) means since, now that.

  2. Characters

    Which word means “ideal, dream”?

    1. 理想
    2. 语言
    3. 视频
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, 理想.

    “ideal, dream” is 理想 (lǐxiǎng).

  3. Listening

    From an earlier unit. Listen. What does the word mean?

    Cannot listen? Read it instead

    图书馆 túshūguǎn

    1. to take a holiday, leave
    2. not only
    3. library
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, library.

    You heard 图书馆 (túshūguǎn): library.

New words

  • 否则fǒuzéotherwise, or else
  • 不然bùránotherwise, or else
  • 记得jìdeto remember
  • 按时ànshíon time, on schedule
  • 保证bǎozhèngto guarantee, to promise

否则 and 不然

否则 (fǒuzé) and 不然 (bùrán) both mean otherwise: do this, or else that will happen. 否则 is more formal; 不然 is more spoken.

  • 你要按时吃药，否则病不会好。

    Nǐ yào ànshí chī yào, fǒuzé bìng bú huì hǎo.

    You need to take your medicine on time, otherwise you won't get better.

  • 快点儿走，不然要迟到了。

    Kuàidiǎnr zǒu, bùrán yào chídào le.

    Hurry up, or we'll be late.

  • Not: 你要多穿点儿，所以会感冒。

    But: 你要多穿点儿，不然会感冒。 Nǐ yào duō chuān diǎnr, bùrán huì gǎnmào.

    Otherwise is 不然, not 所以.

Reminders

记得 (jìde) is to remember (to do something). 按时 (ànshí) is on time, regularly. 保证 (bǎozhèng) is to promise or guarantee.

  • 记得给我打电话。

    Jìde gěi wǒ dǎ diànhuà.

    Remember to call me.

  • 我保证下次不迟到。

    Wǒ bǎozhèng xiàcì bù chídào.

    I promise I won't be late next time.

Characters

Open a character to see how it is written, stroke by stroke, with its meanings and words.

Take your medicine!

Li Ming has a bad cold. Liu Fang calls to check on him.

Listen first

Play the whole conversation and answer the questions before you open the transcript.

  1. Listening

    Listen first. When did Li Ming forget his medicine?

    1. in the morning
    2. at lunch
    3. in the evening
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, at lunch.

    中午忘了.

  2. Listening

    What does Li Ming promise?

    1. to see a doctor
    2. to stay at home
    3. to go to bed by ten
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, to go to bed by ten.

    我保证今天十点就睡.

Show the transcript
Pinyin
Translation

  1. 刘芳

    你Nǐ吃chī药yào了le吗ma？

    Have you taken your medicine?

  2. 李明

    早上Zǎoshang吃chī了le，中午zhōngwǔ忘wàng了le。

    I took it this morning, but forgot at lunch.

  3. 刘芳

    你Nǐ得děi按时ànshí吃chī药yào，否则fǒuzé感冒gǎnmào好不了hǎobuliǎo。

    You need to take it on time, otherwise your cold won't get better.

  4. 李明

    好Hǎo，我wǒ记住jìzhù了le。

    OK, I'll remember.

  5. 刘芳

    晚上Wǎnshang早点儿zǎodiǎnr睡觉shuìjiào，不然bùrán明天míngtiān又yòu起qǐ不bù来lái。

    Go to bed early tonight, or you won't be able to get up tomorrow.

  6. 李明

    我Wǒ保证bǎozhèng今天jīntiān十shí点diǎn就jiù睡shuì！

    I promise I'll be asleep by ten today!

Speak: listen, record, compare

Listen to each model, record yourself, then play both and compare: the rhythm, the tones, the vowels. No automatic score: your ear is the judge.

  • 你得按时吃药，否则感冒好不了。

    Nǐ děi ànshí chī yào, fǒuzé gǎnmào hǎobuliǎo.

    You need to take it on time, otherwise your cold won't get better.

  • 我保证今天十点就睡！

    Wǒ bǎozhèng jīntiān shí diǎn jiù shuì!

    I promise I'll be asleep by ten today!

  • 晚上早点儿睡觉，不然明天又起不来。

    Wǎnshang zǎodiǎnr shuìjiào, bùrán míngtiān yòu qǐ bù lái.

    Go to bed early tonight, or you won't be able to get up tomorrow.

Practice

  1. Meaning

    What does 否则 mean?

    1. otherwise, or else
    2. smooth, without problems
    3. finally, in the end
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, otherwise, or else.

    否则 (fǒuzé) means otherwise, or else.

  2. Characters

    Which word means “otherwise, or else”?

    1. 记得
    2. 提醒
    3. 不然
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, 不然.

    “otherwise, or else” is 不然 (bùrán).

  3. Word order

    Put the words in order: Have you taken your medicine?

    • 药
    • 你
    • 吗
    • 吃
    • 了
    Show the answer

    你吃药了吗 Nǐ chī yào le ma?

    Have you taken your medicine?

    你吃药了吗？ The sentence comes from this lesson's text.

  4. Listening

    Listen. What does the word mean?

    Cannot listen? Read it instead

    按时 ànshí

    1. clear
    2. on time, on schedule
    3. kilogram
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, on time, on schedule.

    You heard 按时 (ànshí): on time, on schedule.

  5. Your turn

    Recall: type the Chinese for “to guarantee, to promise” (characters or pinyin).

    Show the answer

    Answer: 保证

    “to guarantee, to promise” is 保证 (bǎozhèng).

  6. Grammar

    Which sentence means Wear more, or you'll catch a cold?

    1. 多穿点儿，所以会感冒。
    2. 多穿点儿，不然会感冒。
    3. 多穿点儿，但是会感冒。
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, 多穿点儿，不然会感冒。.

    多穿点儿，不然会感冒。: 不然: otherwise.

  7. Fill the gap

    Complete: Remember to call me.

    ＿＿给我打电话。

    1. 保证
    2. 按时
    3. 记得
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, 记得.

    记得给我打电话: remember to call me.

  8. In context

    You were late again. What do you say to your boss?

    1. 我记得下次迟到。
    2. 我保证下次不迟到。
    3. 我按时下次迟到。
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, 我保证下次不迟到。.

    我保证下次不迟到。: 保证: to promise.

  9. Your turn

    Type the Chinese for on time (as scheduled)

    Show the answer

    Answer: 按时

    按时: on time, as scheduled.

Warnings

Give four friendly warnings out loud, each with 否则 or 不然.

  1. About health.
  2. About being late.
  3. About money or work.

Sentence frames

  • 你要＿＿，不然＿＿。

    Nǐ yào ＿＿, bùrán ＿＿.

    You need to ..., otherwise ...

Record your attempt (three and a half minutes at most) and listen back:

Review and finish

Can you do this? If a line feels shaky, go back to that part before you move on.

  • I use 否则 and 不然 for otherwise.
  • I can remind and promise with 记得 and 保证.

Review works best spaced out: answer these exercises again tomorrow, then after a few days. Your progress is saved in this browser.

Completing records that you finished the lesson. Mastery is separate: it grows as reviews bring the exercises back and you answer them correctly.

Next lesson: Either sleeping or shopping: 不是…就是