除非

The Chinese word 除非 (chúfēi) is composed of two characters: 除 (chú) and 非 (fēi). 除 means "except" or "apart from", while 非 means "not" or "no". Together, 除非 literally means "except for not" or "apart from not". In other words, it expresses the idea of "only if not" or "unless".The earliest recorded use of 除非 dates back to the Han Dynasty (206 BCE - 220 CE). It was originally used in classical Chinese texts, but it has since become a common word in modern Chinese as well.除非 is typically used in conditional sentences to express a negative condition. For example, the sentence 除非你学习，否则你不会通过考试 (chúfēi nǐ xuéxí, fǒuzé nǐ bùhuì tòngguò kǎoshì) means "Unless you study, you will not pass the exam". In this sentence, 除非 introduces the negative condition of "not studying", and the rest of the sentence states the consequence of not meeting that condition.除非 can also be used in affirmative sentences to express a strong emphasis on a certain condition. For example, the sentence 除非你亲自来，否则我不会相信 (chúfēi nǐ qīnzì lái, fǒuzé wǒ bùhuì xiāngxìn) means "I will not believe it unless you come in person". In this sentence, 除非 is used to emphasize the importance of the condition of "coming in person".Overall, 除非 is a versatile word that can be used in a variety of contexts to express negative conditions or strong emphasis. It is an important word for HSK learners to master, as it is commonly used in both spoken and written Chinese.