不 bù
- Strokes
- 4
- Radical
- 一 — one
- How it's built
- Ideograph — the meaning is built from its parts
不然
bùrán
otherwise
Characters in this word
然 rán
- Strokes
- 12
- Radical
- 灬 — fire
- Made of
- 肰 dog meat 灬 fire
- How it's built
- Phono-semantic — one part hints at the meaning, another at the sound
Example phrases
- 快走，不然迟到。 Kuài zǒu, bùrán chídào. Walk faster, or we will be late.
- 多穿，不然会冷。 Duō chuān, bùrán huì lěng. Wear more, or you will be cold.
- 说清，不然我走。 Shuō qīng, bùrán wǒ zǒu. Explain clearly, or I will leave.