Trừ phi (Conj)

Situations

S: Hùng has a bad cough. People think he will get cancer if he doesn't stop smoking.

Anh ta sẽ bị ung thư, trừ phi bỏ thuốc.
(He'll get cancer unless he stops smoking.)

If Hùng stops smoking, he might not get cancer; otherwise, it's likely he will.

Definition

Trừ phi, as a conjunction, presents an assumption. If the condition of that assumption is met, the statement in the main clause is rendered incorrect.

  • trừ phi and trừ khi: Trừ khi (except when) is often used mistakenly for trừ phi (unless). Trừ khi identifies an element not included, while trừ phi presents an assumption.
[1] Nam hút thuốc liên tục, trừ khi ăn cơm.
    (Nam smokes all the time, except during meals.) (Fact, not assumption.)
[2a] Công ty sẽ phá sản, trừ phi có phép lạ.
     (The company will go bankrupt unless a miracle occurs.) (Assumption.)
[2b] Công ty sẽ phá sản, trừ khi có phép lạ.
     (The company will go bankrupt, except in the event of a miracle.)

Where trừ khi refers to a condition, it can be used for trừ phi.

  • trừ phi and may ra:
[3a] Anh ta không thể khỏi bệnh được, trừ phi bỏ rượu.
     (He can't recover unless he stops drinking alcohol.) (Sole condition.)
[3b] Anh ta bỏ rượu được thì may ra mới khỏi bệnh.
     (If he could stop drinking, then he might recover.) (Less definite.)

Cf. trừ (p. 381).

Combinations

  • Trừ phi must be followed by a verb phrase or a clause.
[1] Tất cả sinh viên đã nghỉ hè, trừ / *trừ phi sinh viên nước ngoài.
[2] Chương trình sẽ tiếp tục, trừ phi khu này mất điện.
  • If trừ phi starts a sentence, the main clause often contains còn thì... (meaning "and if not").
[3] Trừ phi ông ta thay đổi ý kiến, còn thì mọi chuyện sẽ tiếp tục.
    (Unless he changes his mind, everything will continue as before.)