再不 … 就 - Expressing a last chance
HSK 5
When time is ticking and you need to get someone to act quickly before things take a turn for the worse, the pattern 再不…… 就…… (zàibù... jiù...) is just what you need!
The part after 再不 highlights the urgent action that should happen right away. Then, after 就, you lay out the immediate consequences if nothing is done.
At its core, this structure links 再, meaning "soon" or "again," with 就, meaning "then." While it seems simple, many learners don’t instinctively reach for this pattern when trying to say "if you don’t... then..."—so it’s worth giving it special attention.
Sample Sentences
你再不走，火车就要开了。If you don’t leave now, the train is going to depart.
他再不去医院，病就会更严重了。If he doesn’t go to the hospital soon, his condition will worsen.
再不完成作业，老师就要生气了。If you don’t finish your homework, the teacher is going to be upset.
In a Text
小李一边看表一边加快了脚步。他今天有一个重要的面试，但出门前却一直拖拖拉拉。现在已经快迟到了，手机导航显示他还有二十分钟才能到达公司。
他心里想着：“再不快点，面试就要迟到了！” 他开始跑了起来，但半路上却发现手机快没电了，充电宝也忘了带。再不找到充电的地方，手机就会关机！ 他着急地四处看，终于在一个便利店找到一个可以充电的地方。
充好电后，他继续赶路，但路上遇到了堵车。小李心想：“再不绕路，面试就真的赶不上了！” 他立刻选择了步行，终于在最后一分钟赶到了公司门口。
拖拉 (tuōlā) – procrastinate; to drag out, be slow
导航 (dǎoháng) – navigation; GPS
充电宝 (chōngdiànbǎo) – power bank (portable charger)
赶路 (gǎnlù) – to hurry on one’s way; to rush to a destination
绕路 (ràolù) – to take a detour
Xiao Li glanced at his watch and quickened his pace. He had an important interview today, but he had been procrastinating before leaving the house. Now, he was almost late, and the GPS showed it would take another 20 minutes to reach the company.
He thought to himself, "If I don’t speed up, I’ll be late for the interview!" He started running, but halfway there, he noticed his phone battery was about to die, and he had forgotten to bring his power bank. "If I don’t find a place to charge soon, my phone will shut off!" Anxiously, he looked around and finally found a convenience store where he could charge his phone.
After charging, he continued on his way but ran into traffic. Xiao Li thought, "If I don’t take a detour, I really won’t make it to the interview!" He immediately decided to walk and finally arrived at the company just in the nick of time.
