要不是

yàobushì

HSK 5

要不是 — yàobushì

1. if it were not for; but for (introduces counterfactual condition or explains that something happens only because of some factor)

   要不是你及时提醒，我可能就忘了这个会议。 yàobúshì nǐ jíshí tíxǐng wǒ kěnéng jiù wàng le zhège huìyì — If it weren't for your timely reminder, I probably would have forgotten about the meeting.