Consequences and alternatives (yoksa)

When navigating a dangerous jungle, you need to act fast to avoid disaster. To warn someone about the consequences of not doing something, Turkish uses the conjunction yoksa (otherwise / or else).

otherwise / or else
yoksa

Giving Warnings

Yoksa connects a required action to its consequence. It is most often placed after a command, directly followed by what will happen if the command is ignored.

Be careful, otherwise the poisonous snake will bite.
Dikkatli ol, yoksa zehirli yılan ısırır.
Set up the tent quickly, otherwise we will get wet.
Çadırı çabuk kur, yoksa ıslanırız.

Explaining Actions

Yoksa isn't limited to direct commands. You can use it after descriptions of ongoing actions to explain why someone is acting a certain way:

The hunter stops and waits quietly, otherwise the wild animals will run away.
Avcı sessizce durup bekliyor, yoksa vahşi hayvanlar kaçar.

Negative Commands and Necessities

You can also use yoksa after a negative command to warn someone not to do something:

Do not move, otherwise you cannot escape the trap.
Hareket etme, yoksa tuzaktan kurtulamazsın.

Finally, it works seamlessly with statements of necessity, showing what will happen if a required task isn't completed:

It is necessary to clean the wound immediately, otherwise it will get worse.
Yarayı hemen temizlemek gerek, yoksa kötüleşecek.