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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.

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3 Answers 3

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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 !

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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, 2013 at 0:06
  • (+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... ! May 22, 2013 at 11:43
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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.

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  • @StéphaneGimenez I just saw the edit, geeze!
    – Jerry
    May 21, 2013 at 20:41
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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...

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  • +1 I overlooked 'ou alors' =P It works just as well imo.
    – Jerry
    May 21, 2013 at 20:44

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