要不然

yàobùrán

conjunction #4,448

Meanings

1 otherwise; or else
2 how about; what if (suggesting an alternative)

Characters

If not so - otherwise, or else.

Examples

HSK 3

快点走，要不然就迟到了。

Kuài diǎn zǒu, yàoburán jiù chídào le.

Hurry up, otherwise we'll be late.

HSK 5

我们去吃火锅吧，要不然吃烧烤？

Wǒmen qù chī huǒguō ba, yàoburán chī shāokǎo?

Let's go eat hotpot, or how about BBQ?

HSK 7-9

幸好带了伞，要不然就淋湿了。

Xìnghǎo dài le sǎn, yàoburán jiù lín shī le.

Good thing I brought an umbrella, otherwise I would have gotten soaked.

Tips

usage

要不然 = 否则 (formal 'otherwise') = 不然 (shorter form). 要不然 is the most colloquial. It can also be used to suggest alternatives: 要不然我们... (how about we...).

Stroke Order

要 yào

不 bù

然 rán