除非 … ，才 … (unless)
Name your price first
- only if (..., or otherwise…除非 … ，only then / not until才 … = "unless …, (won't) …" / "only if …".
- only if (..., or otherwise…除非you你to go去，I / me我only then / not until才to go去 = "I'll only go if you go."
- only if (..., or otherwise…除非 names the one condition without which nothing happens.
only if (..., or otherwise…除非 … ，only then / not until才 …
- only if (..., or otherwise…除非 sets the sole requirement; only then / not until才 gates the result on it.
unless除非you你go去，I我only then才go去。
- only if (..., or otherwise…除非you你to go去，I / me我only then / not until才to go去 = "unless you go, I won't go."
Practice
Unless you go, I won't: ____ 你去，我才去。
除非 … ，才 … = unless / only if: 除非你去,我才去.
Practice
除非 names…
Without that condition, nothing happens: 除非…，才….
only if (..., or otherwise…除非 … ，otherwise否则 …
- Also "only if (..., or otherwise…除非…，otherwise否则…" = "unless …, otherwise …".
Explore
Correct or broken?
除非 names the ONLY key; 才 confirms nothing turns without it.
Practice
除非 can also pair with 否则 (“unless …, otherwise …”).
Yes: 除非…，才… and 除非…，否则… are both common.
Recap
Key idea
- only if (..., or otherwise…除非 … ，only then / not until才 … — "unless / only if …, (then) …"
- only if (..., or otherwise…除非you你to go去，I / me我only then / not until才to go去
- only if (..., or otherwise…除非 = the one indispensable condition
Read the full reference: HSK 4 grammar — Conditional statements.