French equivalent of "or else"?

Question

Is there any good translation for that English phrase? Something with the same general sens but different literal wording?

Give me that cat, or else!

I'm specifically interested in a translation for or else as it appears at the end of an English sentence, as a threat/warning.

Example and elaboration added. – temporary_user_name May 21 '13 at 20:38 — temporary_user_name, May 21 '13 at 20:38

score 10 · Accepted Answer · edited Jun 17 '20 at 09:38

10

Both sinon and ou alors suit your needs, but it has to be at the end of the sentence, and you must somehow pronounce(!) the ellipsis-exclamation mark (you can use either a long-lasting sound or a very sharp stress on the very last syllable):

File-moi le chat, sinon… !

Envoie ce chat par ici, ou alors… !

The threat can as well be specified. Chiefly “ça va barder”. And sinon can also be completed with “sinon gare !”

edited Jun 17 '20 at 09:38

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answered May 21 '13 at 20:55

Stéphane Gimenez

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Very true about the pronunciation of '...!' I'd like to add that "ça va barder" is rather France-specific. Westwards, we'd tend to use "ça va mal aller" or "ça va mal tourner", both of which promise bad things while staying quite vague – 3Doubloons May 22 '13 at 00:06
(+1) Excellente réponse. Anecdotiquement, et au risque de nous faire passer (nous autres lorrains) pour des rustres une fois de plus, j'avoue que je n'ai entendu ça va barder... ! que dans le discours lissé des médias, notamment des médias datés ou pour enfants. C'est à peu près aussi courant que Saperlipopette. La seule variante employée ici au quotidien est ça va chier... !, voire parfois ça va mal aller... ! – Romain Valeri May 22 '13 at 11:43

score 5 · Answer 2 · edited Jun 17 '20 at 09:38

5

I believe that you are looking for 'sinon'.

Example:

Do your work, or else!

Fais ton travail, sinon!

EDIT: Since the 'or else' specifically refers to a threat, the below doesn't apply.

~~Or:~~

You should do it that way, or else, it won't work.

Tu dois le faire comme ça, sinon, cela ne marchera pas.

edited Jun 17 '20 at 09:38

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answered May 21 '13 at 20:02

Jerry

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@StéphaneGimenez I just saw the edit, geeze! – Jerry May 21 '13 at 20:41

score 3 · Answer 3 · answered May 21 '13 at 20:18

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The translation would be "ou alors" or "sinon". But they are very rarely used at the end of a sentence, but rather to describe an explanation/alternative/etc...

answered May 21 '13 at 20:18

Yves

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+1 I overlooked 'ou alors' =P It works just as well imo. – Jerry May 21 '13 at 20:44

French equivalent of "or else"?

3 Answers3