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Expressing "what if" with 万一 ("wan4yi1")

万一 wànyī

Grammar
HSK 4

Structure

万一 ⋯⋯ 怎么办 ？ 万一 ⋯⋯ 呢 ？ 万一 ⋯⋯ ，⋯⋯

Translations

  • what if

Definition

万一表示假设发生某种不太可能但可能带来严重后果的情况，类似于‘如果万一’或‘假如’。

"万一" expresses a hypothetical situation that is unlikely but could have serious consequences, similar to 'what if' or 'in case' in English.

Usage

常用于提出假设或担心的情况，特别是那些不太可能发生但需要预防的。可以放在句首或句中，后面接假设的情况。

It is often used to propose hypothetical or worried scenarios, especially those that are unlikely but need to be prepared for. It can be placed at the beginning or middle of a sentence, followed by the hypothetical situation.

Examples

  • 1 万一明天下雨，我们就取消野餐。 (What if it rains tomorrow? We’ll cancel the picnic.)
  • 2 带上雨伞，万一下雨呢。 (Bring an umbrella, what if it rains.)
  • 3 万一他不同意，我们还有备用计划。 (What if he disagrees? We have a backup plan.)
  • 4 万一你迷路了，就给我打电话。 (If you get lost, call me.)
  • 5 万一停电，我们得准备蜡烛。 (What if there’s a power outage? We need to prepare candles.)

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