# HSK 4 Grammar: How to Use 否则 | HSKReady Canonical: https://hskready.app/en/grammar/hsk-4-hypothetical-clauses-g081 Language: en Content ID: web-grammar-hsk-4-g081 HSK levels: 4 Updated: 2026-10-23T04:56:37.688Z Scope: published website educational content; full vocabulary, question bank and mock exams remain in the app. Learn how 否则 connects a condition or instruction to its likely alternative result, with sentence patterns, examples, and a contrast with 要是……就……。 Grammar [HSK 4 · Sentence types › Complex sentences › Hypothetical clauses](https://hskready.app/en/grammar/hsk-4#hsk-4-g081) # Using 否则 to Say What Happens Otherwise 否则 introduces the consequence that may follow if the preceding condition or instruction is not met. Learn how to connect the two clauses, choose a natural result, and distinguish this pattern from an explicit 要是……就…… conditional. Condition or instruction ，否则 Alternative consequence Example sentence 带上学生证，否则你进不去图书馆。 Dài shàng xuéshēng zhèng, fǒuzé nǐ jìn bù qù túshūguǎn. Bring your student card; otherwise, you will not be able to enter the library. Correct. 否则 introduces the result if the instruction is not followed. **Read the full explanation and examples** ## Meaning: the alternative if something is not done The outline places this pattern under HSK 4 compound sentences and gives its form as “……，否则……”. This lesson explains that listed point; it does not claim anything about which exam version a test centre currently administers. 否则 (fǒuzé) means “otherwise” or “if not.” It points back to the first clause and introduces an alternative consequence: if the stated condition is not met, or the suggested action is not taken, the result in the second clause may follow. The first clause often states what to do, what needs to happen, or what situation must hold. 带上学生证，否则你进不去图书馆。 Dài shàng xuéshēng zhèng, fǒuzé nǐ jìn bù qù túshūguǎn. Bring your student card; otherwise, you will not be able to enter the library. Correct. 否则 introduces the result if the instruction is not followed. 现在出发吧，否则你会赶不上会议。 Xiànzài chūfā ba, fǒuzé nǐ huì gǎn bù shàng huìyì. Leave now; otherwise, you will miss the meeting. Correct. 否则 links the instruction to its likely consequence. ## Formation and clause order Place the condition or instruction first, followed by a comma, 否则, and the consequence. The result should make clear what can happen if the first clause is not followed. The subject can be omitted when context makes it clear. Condition or instruction ，否则 Alternative consequence - The first clause may be an instruction, as in a reminder or warning, or a condition that needs to be satisfied. - The following clause supplies the alternative under non-fulfillment of the first requirement. It is often unwelcome, but that is a common context rather than the definition of 否则. 会 and 可能 contribute how strongly the speaker predicts it. - 吧 can soften the preceding suggestion. The otherwise-clause still states what may follow if the suggested action is not taken. 我们今天得确认预约，否则医院可能会把这个时间安排给别人。 Wǒmen jīntiān děi quèrèn yùyuē, fǒuzé yīyuàn kěnéng huì bǎ zhège shíjiān ānpái gěi biérén. We need to confirm the appointment today; otherwise, the hospital may give this time slot to someone else. Correct. 可能 marks the consequence as possible, not certain. ## Choose a consequence that fits Use this pattern when the listener can recover the missing idea “if not” from the first clause. The consequence should be a plausible alternative connected to that clause. A reminder about confirming an appointment, for example, works naturally with a possible consequence such as losing the time slot. An explicit 要是……就…… pattern states a condition and its result directly: 要是下雨，我们就坐地铁 (If it rains, we will take the subway). In the 否则 pattern, the first clause commonly gives an action or requirement, while 否则 introduces what may happen if it is not fulfilled. The patterns can sometimes describe related situations, but they frame the relationship differently; do not assume one can replace the other without changing the emphasis. 带上雨伞吧，否则你回家的路上可能会淋湿。 Dài shàng yǔsǎn ba, fǒuzé nǐ huíjiā de lùshang kěnéng huì línshī. Take an umbrella; otherwise, you may get wet on the way home. Correct. 否则 introduces a possible result if the advice is not followed. Work out the whole requirement first, including any negation. In 别忘了带钥匙，否则进不了门, “otherwise” means if you do forget the keys, not if you remember them. Check that the consequence follows from failure to meet the requirement; do not mechanically add 不 to an isolated verb. ## Common pitfalls - Do not translate 否则 as though it simply repeats the first clause. It introduces the alternative outcome when the first condition or instruction is not met. - Avoid leaving the consequence vague when the context does not make it clear. State what may happen, such as being unable to enter, missing a meeting, or losing an appointment time. - Keep the consequence appropriately qualified. A possible outcome is not necessarily certain, so retain words such as 可能 when they matter to the intended meaning. ## Frequently asked questions **Is 否则 used only in warnings?** No. It often appears in reminders, instructions, and warnings, but its central job is to introduce the alternative result if the preceding condition or action is not met. **Does the result after 否则 always happen?** No. The pattern presents an alternative consequence, but context determines how certain it is. Use wording such as 可能 when the result is only possible. **Does 否则 start a new sentence?** It can. A comma is common within the two-clause pattern, but 否则 can also start a following sentence when its antecedent is clear. Punctuation does not remove the need for a meaningful “otherwise” relationship. **Source**[hsk.cn-bj.ufileos.com · PDF page 397](https://hsk.cn-bj.ufileos.com/3.0/%E6%96%B0%E7%89%88HSK%E8%80%83%E8%AF%95%E5%A4%A7%E7%BA%B21219.pdf#page=397) ## Continue in the app Full mock exams are available in HSKReady. [![Download on the App Store](https://hskready.app/download-on-app-store-black.svg)Download on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id6791916440?l=en)[![Get it on Google Play](https://hskready.app/get-it-on-google-play.svg)Get it on Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.curiolab.hskready&hl=en) [HSKReady App](https://hskready.app/en/app)