要不是

要不是 yào bu shì ㄧㄠˋ ˙ㄅㄨ ㄕˋ jiu3 bat1 si6 HSK 7-9 進階級 · Level 3

  • if it were not for
  • but for

Stroke order

Practice writing

Draw 要 (1 of 3) — stroke by stroke.

Draw each stroke of the character in order using your mouse or finger. A hint appears after three misses.

Character breakdown

Example sentences

  • 只要不是致命性的错误,失败也没关系 As long as it's not a fatal mistake, it is ok to fail.
  • 要不是他这么磨磨蹭蹭,现在早做完了。 If he hadn't wasted time, he'd be finished by now.
  • 要不是当初有内战,他们现在应该挺富裕了。 If it had not been for civil war, they would be wealthy now.

Sentences from Tatoeba (CC BY)