chúfēi xiān jiǎofèi, fǒuzé bùnéng lǐngqǔ jiàshǐzhèng.

first

Breakdown of chúfēi xiān jiǎofèi, fǒuzé bùnéng lǐngqǔ jiàshǐzhèng.

• 不能bùnéng: cannot; must not
• 驾驶证jiàshǐzhèng: driving licence

Questions & Answers about chúfēi xiān jiǎofèi, fǒuzé bùnéng lǐngqǔ jiàshǐzhèng.

How does 除非……否则…… work in this sentence?

除非……否则…… is a very common pattern meaning unless …, otherwise ….

In this sentence:

• 除非先缴费 = unless you pay the fee first
• 否则不能领取驾驶证 = otherwise, you cannot collect the driver’s license

So the whole structure is:

• 除非 + condition, 否则 + result

A useful way to think about it is:

• If the condition after 除非 is not met, then the result after 否则 happens.

So here, if you do not pay first, you cannot get the license.

Why is 否则 used? Isn’t 除非 enough by itself?

Yes, 除非 can sometimes appear without 否则, but using both makes the sentence clearer and more complete.

Compare:

• 除非先缴费，否则不能领取驾驶证。
• 除非先缴费，不能领取驾驶证。

Both are understandable, but the first one sounds more explicit and natural in formal notices, rules, and instructions.

So:

• 除非 introduces the exception or necessary condition.
• 否则 introduces the negative consequence if that condition is not met.

This pairing is especially common in written Chinese.

Why is 先 placed before ?