ReadWriteQuiz

Chinese dictionary
Show pinyin

  • 1

    conj.only when; only if; unless

    • chú fēi tā zuò bù liǎo tā cái huì zhǎo wǒ bāng máng

      除非帮忙

      Only when she can't do it does she ask me for help.

    • chú fēi xià yǔ yào bù wǒ kěn dìng qù

      除非下雨肯定

      I'll certainly go, except if it rains.

    • chú fēi tiān qì fēi cháng rè bù rán tā zǒng shì guān zhe chuāng shuì jiào

      除非天气非常不然睡觉

      He always sleeps with the window shut unless it's really hot.

  • 2

    prep.but; except; excluding, not included

    • shàng shān nà tiáo dào chú fēi tā méi rén rèn shi

      上山除非认识

      No one but her knows the path to the top of the mountain.

    • nà tái jī chuáng chú fēi tā méi rén huì kāi

      机床除非

      No one can operate that machine tool except him.

    • chú fēi tā zài méi rén shú xī shān lín li de qíng kuàng le

      除非熟悉山林情况

      Unless he does, no one knows what's going on in these woods anymore.

Word usage

  • Note
    1. 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……. ".