Examples
yào bu shì要不是dāng chū当初yǒu有nèi zhàn内战，tā men他们xiàn zài现在yīng gāi应该tǐng挺fù yù富裕le了。
要不是当初有内战，他们现在应该挺富裕了。
If it had not been for civil war, they would be wealthy now.
要不是他这么磨磨蹭蹭，现在早做完了。
If he hadn't wasted time, he'd be finished by now.
要不是被绊了一下，我原本能赢的。
I would've won if I hadn't tripped.