Chinese phrase
要不是〜 yào bú shì 〜
Meaning
If it weren't for ___
When to use it
It says a result would not happen without a person or thing. It introduces a counterfactual condition, often to show gratitude or stress the importance of help.
Example dialogue
要不是你帮忙，我们今天完不成这个项目。 yào bú shì nǐ bāng máng wǒ men jīn tiān wán bù chéng zhè ge xiàng mù
If it weren't for your help, we wouldn't have finished this project today.
大家都很感谢你。 dà jiā dōu hěn gǎn xiè nǐ
Everyone is very grateful to you.