French word

sinon

Pronunciation

IPA/sinɔ̃/

Meaning

  • conjunctionotherwise

Example

Prends ton parapluie, sinon tu seras mouillé.

Take your umbrella, otherwise you'll get wet.

Illustration for sinon (otherwise)

More examples

Il avait préparé ses affaires la veille, sinon il aurait oublié quelque chose.

He had prepared his belongings the day before; otherwise, he would have forgotten something.

Core concept

A fork in the road where a failed first path opens a second path.

Common phrases

  • sinon que

    except that

  • et sinon ?

    and what else?

Similar words

sauf que: Introduces an exception or correction to what was just stated.
ou alors: Offers another possible choice or outcome.
ou bien: Introduces another option in a choice between alternatives.

Definition in French

Mot employé pour proposer une alternative ou indiquer 'autrement' quand la proposition précédente échoue.

Word origin

Sinon comes from the French combination si, meaning 'if', and non, meaning 'not', later written as one word.

Usage tips

  • At the start of a sentence, sinon can introduce an aside meaning 'otherwise' or 'apart from that', so context determines the connection.

Word lists with this word