ReadWriteQuiz
Chinese dictionary
- 1
conj.only when; only if; unless
除非她做不了,她才会找我帮忙。
Only when she can't do it does she ask me for help.
除非下雨,要不我肯定去。
I'll certainly go, except if it rains.
除非天气非常热,不然他总是关着窗睡觉。
He always sleeps with the window shut unless it's really hot.
synonym
- 2
prep.but; except; excluding, not included
上山那条道,除非她没人认识。
No one but her knows the path to the top of the mountain.
那台机床除非他没人会开。
No one can operate that machine tool except him.
除非他,再没人熟悉山林里的情况了。
Unless he does, no one knows what's going on in these woods anymore.
Word usage
- Note1. When cooperating with "才", "除非" emphasizes the only necessary condition from the front, which is equivalent to "只有"; when cooperating with "否则", "除非" emphasizes the necessary condition from the negative side, and the usage is different from "只有". 2. "除非……,才……" can also be said as "除非……,不……"; "只有……,才……" cannot be said as "只有……,不……. ".