否則grammar point · tier 1 · 否則 otherwise (else the bad consequence)
· fǒuzé
States the proposition first, then warns of the consequence that follows if it does not hold: do this, or else that happens.
字源 FORM what the parts do
否 is the spoken no — 不 over a mouth (口); it stands for the case where the first clause fails to hold. 則 is a knife (刂) carving a cowrie (貝) to an even measure, the fixed rule from which the consequence then follows. Joined, they say: take the no-branch, and this is the rule that follows from it.
故事 STORY a scene to remember it by
A path with a guardrail on one side; step off it and the ground drops away below.
自撰字源記憶法
框 · Frame
[do / desired case]，否則 [bad consequence]
觸 · Trigger
You state what should happen, then warn of the bad outcome if it does not.
序 · The move
1state the first clause — the instruction, wish, or condition you want metis this the case you are counting on holding?
2否則 + the consequence that follows when the first clause failsdoes this half describe what goes wrong, not what goes right?
例 · Examples
1快quickly, hurry去叫醒wake (someone) up爸爸，否則otherwise, or else他上班go to work要遲到be late, arrive late了。
Go wake Dad up now, or else he'll be late for work.
如果…就… lays a neutral condition and fires its consequence when met; 否則 takes the first clause as the desired case and names the consequence of it NOT being met. Forward-if versus the warned else-branch.
不然 is the everyday spoken twin, same job; 否則 carries the formal, written register. Same move, different register.
stating the good outcome after 否則: 快去叫醒爸爸，否則他能準時上班 → 否則 must carry the bad branch: 否則他上班要遲到了
doubling with 如果不: 如果不去叫醒爸爸，否則他要遲到 → pick one: 否則他要遲到 (the 否則 already means 'if not')
using 否則 with no first clause to negate: 否則他要遲到了 alone → it needs the desired clause in front for the 'else' to hang on
English 'otherwise / or else' sits the same way, so the slot transfers cleanly; the trap is reaching for spoken 不然 in formal writing, or reading 否則 as a neutral 'if' and stating the good outcome after it instead of the warned one.