否则 (fǒu zé) — otherwise; if not; or in Mandarin
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#1098 most common word · HSK 4 · CEFR B1
Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Tone breakdown
否则 is pronounced fǒu zé. Tap any syllable’s row to hear the whole word.
In a sentence
Nǐ yào nǔlì xuéxí, fǒuzé huì shībài.
You must study hard, otherwise you will fail.
Hear it, then say it right
Reading pinyin only gets you halfway. ToneDeck plays native audio for 否则 and thousands more words, then scores your pronunciation so your tones land. HSK 1 is free, no install.
Start freeFrequently asked questions
What does 否则 mean?+
否则 (fǒu zé) means "otherwise; if not; or" in Mandarin Chinese.
How do you pronounce 否则?+
否则 is pronounced fǒu zé. It uses the tone 3 (rising/dipping), then the tone 2 (rising). Tap the character on this page to hear native audio.
How common is 否则 in Mandarin?+
否则 is the #1098 most frequent word in spoken Mandarin, so it is one of the first words worth learning.
Where 否则 fits
Every HSK 4 word with tone-coloured pinyin and audio.
Words at a similar frequency
Master the tones first
What each tone sounds like and why it matters.
Why some tones change in connected speech.
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