Skip to content
Chinese Copilot

否则fǒu zéotherwise; if not; or (else)

HSK 4word

By Chinese Copilot · Last updated

否则 (fǒu zé) means "otherwise," "if not," or "or else." 我们现在走，否则就晚了 says we leave now, otherwise it will be late. 你今天来，否则我明天去 says you come today, otherwise I will go tomorrow. 请快一点，否则就晚了 says please be a bit faster, otherwise it will be late. 你在家，否则我去学校 says you stay at home, otherwise I will go to school.

What does 否则 mean?

  1. 1.

    otherwise; if not; or (else)conjunction

What do the characters in 否则 mean?

  • 否not
  • 则(literary) (conjunction used to express contrast with a previous clause) but; then

How do you use 否则?

否则 can introduce what happens if the first clause does not happen, as in 我们现在走，否则就晚了.

Patterns

  • Clause，否则 + Result

    我们现在走，否则就晚了。

    Wǒmen xiànzài zǒu, fǒuzé jiù wǎn le.

    We leave now, otherwise it will be late.

  • 否则就 + Adjective + 了

    请快一点，否则就晚了。

    Qǐng kuài yì diǎn, fǒuzé jiù wǎn le.

    Please be a bit faster, otherwise it will be late.

What are some examples of 否则 in a sentence?

  1. HSK 2

    我们现在走，否则就晚了。

    Wǒmen xiànzài zǒu, fǒuzé jiù wǎn le.

    We leave now, otherwise it will be late.

  2. HSK 1

    你今天来，否则我明天去。

    Nǐ jīntiān lái, fǒuzé wǒ míngtiān qù.

    You come today, otherwise I will go tomorrow.

  3. HSK 2

    请快一点，否则就晚了。

    Qǐng kuài yì diǎn, fǒuzé jiù wǎn le.

    Please be a bit faster, otherwise it will be late.

  4. HSK 1

    你在家，否则我去学校。

    Nǐ zài jiā, fǒuzé wǒ qù xuéxiào.

    You stay at home, otherwise I will go to school.

How is 否则 different from 所以?

否则 introduces what happens if the first clause does not happen. 所以 (suǒ yǐ) introduces a result that follows because the first clause does happen.

Only 否则 fits here

我们现在走，否则就晚了。

Wǒmen xiànzài zǒu, fǒuzé jiù wǎn le.

We leave now, otherwise it will be late.

How is 否则 used in a conversation?

  1. Speaker A:

    我们现在走吗？

    Wǒmen xiànzài zǒu ma?

    Do we leave now?

  2. Speaker B:

    我们现在走，否则就晚了。

    Wǒmen xiànzài zǒu, fǒuzé jiù wǎn le.

    We leave now, otherwise it will be late.

  3. Speaker A:

    现在不走可以吗？

    Xiànzài bù zǒu kěyǐ ma?

    Is it OK not to leave now?

  4. Speaker B:

    不可以。你现在走，否则就晚了。

    Bù kěyǐ. Nǐ xiànzài zǒu, fǒuzé jiù wǎn le.

    It's not OK. You leave now, otherwise it will be late.

Can you use 否则 correctly?

0 of 3 answered
  1. 1.Which sentence means "We leave now, otherwise it will be late"?
  2. 2.Fill in the blank: 你今天来，___我明天去。(You come today, otherwise I will go tomorrow.)
  3. 3.Fill in the blank: 请快一点，___就晚了。(Please be a bit faster, otherwise it will be late.)

What should you learn next?

Related words

Browse every entry in the Chinese word dictionary.

English glosses on this page are adapted from CC-CEDICT, published by MDBG (snapshot 2026-10-23), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Glosses were edited for learners.