Connecting Actions to Consequences
In the workplace, missing a deadline or ignoring a constraint has consequences. To express "otherwise" or "or else" in Italian, use the conjunction altrimenti.
Altrimenti connects a required action directly to the consequence of failing to meet it.
| The deadline is strict, otherwise we lose the contract. | La scadenza è improrogabile, altrimenti perdiamo il contratto. |
| We must respect the estimate, otherwise we exceed the budget. | Dobbiamo rispettare la stima, altrimenti sforiamo il budget. |
Strict Constraints and Penalties
Altrimenti is especially useful in project management when warning about budgets or penalties. Place it between the main obligation and the result. No special verb tenses are required; you will often see the present tense used for both clauses.
| We must present the chart by tomorrow, otherwise there is a penalty. | Dobbiamo presentare il grafico entro domani, altrimenti c'è una penalità. |
| You must respect the budget, otherwise they cancel the contract. | Devi rispettare il budget, altrimenti cancellano il contratto. |
Looking Ahead to Future Consequences
When a project's progress is at risk, you might state the consequence using the future tense. Altrimenti works perfectly here to warn what will happen if immediate action isn't taken.
| We must speed up the progress, otherwise we will not meet the deadline. | Dobbiamo accelerare l'avanzamento, altrimenti non rispetteremo la scadenza. |
| You must write it immediately, otherwise the client will not accept the summary. | Deve scriverlo subito, altrimenti il cliente non accetterà il riepilogo. |
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