else

else — adverb

1. used after indefinite pronouns (anyone, everything, nobody, etc.) and question w

1.副詞A2
釋義

used after indefinite pronouns (anyone, everything, nobody, etc.) and question words (what, who, where, why, how) to mean 'other,' 'different,' or 'additional.'

例句

Is there anyone else in the office who speaks Korean?

anyone else — after any-compound

We have already tried that place — let me think of somewhere else to eat.

somewhere else — after some-compound

同義詞
  • other

    similar meaning but a different grammar pattern — 'other' comes before a noun (other people) while 'else' comes after the word it modifies.

  • additional

    more formal and placed before a noun; 'else' is more conversational and always follows another word.

  • different

    overlaps when 'else' means 'alternative'; 'different' is an adjective used before nouns.

反義詞
  • same

    where 'else' signals another option, 'same' signals no alternative.

文法句型

[indefinite pronoun] + else

[question word] + else

用法筆記

This sense NEVER takes 'which': 'Which else' is grammatically incorrect; use 'What other' instead. Also, 'else' cannot be used before a noun (❌ 'else person' → ✅ 'someone else'). It always follows the word it refers to.

常見錯誤

❌Which else colour do you like?
✅What other colour do you like?
💡'else' does not combine with 'which'.
❌I need else help.
✅I need something else.' or 'I need more help.
💡'else' cannot stand alone before a noun; it must attach to an indefinite pronoun or question word.

❌ 'Who else wants to come?' (correct grammar but may be seen as rude in very formal settings) — 'Who else' is fine in everyday speech; use 'Who additionally' or 'What other person' only in highly formal writing.

2. used after 'or' to say what will happen if something is not done, or to present

2.副詞B1
釋義

used after 'or' to say what will happen if something is not done, or to present a different possibility.

例句

You need to book the tickets today, or else the price will go up tomorrow.

or else + clause — warning / consequence

Hamza must be stuck in traffic, or else his phone battery died.

or else — alternative possibility

同義詞
  • otherwise

    slightly more formal and neutral in tone; 'or else' can carry a stronger warning feel.

文法句型

[clause A] + or else + [clause B]

用法筆記

'Or else' can sound like a threat or warning when spoken with emphasis. When you simply mean 'if not,' the neutral 'otherwise' is safer in professional writing. In questions or guesses about alternative situations, 'or else' is perfectly neutral.

常見錯誤

❌Finish your dinner, or else.' (incomplete — a bare 'or else' as a threat is an informal idiom, not standard written English)
✅Finish your dinner, or else you will not get dessert.
💡include the consequence clause.

❌ 'Or else he will come.' (ambiguous — unclear if it is a threat or an alternative) — add context to make the meaning clear.

else — adjective