Chinese phrase
除非〜 chú fēi 〜
Meaning
unless ___
When to use it
It marks a condition required for something else to happen. The result will not happen if the condition is not met. It can appear at the start or middle of a sentence.
Example dialogue
能借我100块吗？ néng jiè wǒ 100 kuài ma
Could you lend me 100 yuan?
除非你先把书还我，否则我不会借给你。 chú fēi nǐ xiān bǎ shū huán wǒ fǒu zé wǒ bú huì jiè gěi nǐ
Unless you return the book to me first, I won't lend you the money.