RealHSK

HSK 4Lesson 12 of 14 · 7 grammar points

Conditions, exceptions and reasons

否则 supplies a fallback when a condition fails; 不管 and 无论 hold an outcome constant across alternatives; 既然 reasons from an accepted fact. Distinguish what is established from what is merely imagined.

Learning goals (7)
  • Otherwise with 否则.
  • Conversational hypothesis.
  • A condition and fallback.
  • Regardless with 不管.
  • Regardless with 无论.
  • An accepted premise.
  • Cause and inference.

…，否则…

Otherwise with 否则

否则 introduces the consequence if the preceding requirement is not met.

快走，否则会迟到。

Kuài zǒu, fǒu zé huì chí dào.

Hurry, otherwise we'll be late.

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Pitfall: Its implied condition is the negation of the preceding instruction.

要是…，就…

Conversational hypothesis

要是…就… introduces a hypothetical condition, often conversationally.

要是明天有空，我就去。

Yào shì míng tiān yǒu kòng, wǒ jiù qù.

If I am free tomorrow, I'll go.

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Pitfall: Do not confuse 要是 with a demand expressed by 要.

否则

A condition and fallback

要是…就…否则… gives a conditional path and the alternative when it fails.

要是有票就去，否则就在家。

Yào shì yǒu piào jiù qù, fǒu zé jiù zài jiā.

If there are tickets, we'll go; otherwise we'll stay home.

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Pitfall: Keep the fallback logically distinct from the first result.

不管…，都/也…

Regardless with 不管

不管 followed by alternatives or a wh-expression removes variation in the main outcome.

不管谁来，我都欢迎。

Bù guǎn shuí lái, wǒ dōu huān yíng.

Whoever comes, I will welcome them.

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Pitfall: Do not put an arbitrary single factual clause after 不管 without an appropriate range.

无论…，都/也…

Regardless with 无论

无论…都/也… presents a result unaffected by a range of conditions, often in formal language.

无论多忙，他都坚持学习。

Wú lùn duō máng, tā dōu jiān chí xué xí.

No matter how busy he is, he keeps studying.

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Pitfall: The degree expression supplies the varying condition.

既然…，就…

An accepted premise

既然…就… reasons from a fact treated as accepted by speaker and listener.

既然来了，就坐一会儿吧。

Jì rán lái le, jiù zuò yī huìr ba.

Since you are here, sit for a while.

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Pitfall: 如果 merely supposes; 既然 treats its premise as established.

因此

Cause and inference

由于 introduces a cause; 因此 states a consequence, often in formal explanatory prose.

由于道路结冰，因此公交车晚点了。

Yóu yú dào lù jié bīng, yīn cǐ gōng jiāo chē wǎn diǎn le.

Because the road iced over, the bus was delayed.

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Pitfall: Do not call a mere temporal sequence causal without context.

Source details (official syllabus)

  • Otherwise with 否则

    Syllabus item
    ……，否则……
    Category
    假设复句
    Grammar ID
    grammar-L4-081
    PDF page
    397 (printed 394)

  • Conversational hypothesis

    Syllabus item
    要是……，就……
    Category
    假设复句
    Grammar ID
    grammar-L4-082
    PDF page
    397 (printed 394)

  • A condition and fallback

    Syllabus item
    要是……，（就）……，否则……
    Category
    假设复句
    Grammar ID
    grammar-L4-083
    PDF page
    397 (printed 394)

  • Regardless with 不管

    Syllabus item
    不管……，都/也……
    Category
    条件复句
    Grammar ID
    grammar-L4-084
    PDF page
    397 (printed 394)

  • Regardless with 无论

    Syllabus item
    无论……，都/也……
    Category
    条件复句
    Grammar ID
    grammar-L4-085
    PDF page
    397 (printed 394)

  • An accepted premise

    Syllabus item
    既然……，就……
    Category
    因果复句
    Grammar ID
    grammar-L4-086
    PDF page
    397 (printed 394)

  • Cause and inference

    Syllabus item
    （由于）……，因此……
    Category
    因果复句
    Grammar ID
    grammar-L4-087
    PDF page
    397 (printed 394)