早(也)不X，晚(也)不X: “not sooner, not later”

Examples

• Listen 早不来，晚不来，偏偏我洗澡的时候他来了。

  早不来，晚不来，偏偏我洗澡的时候他来了。

  Zǎo bù lái, wǎn bù lái, piānpiān wǒ xǐzǎo de shíhou tā lái le.

  Not earlier, not later: he had to turn up just as I was in the shower.

• Listen 手机早不关机，晚不关机，偏偏在最要紧的时候关机了。

  手机早不关机，晚不关机，偏偏在最要紧的时候关机了。

  Shǒujī zǎo bù guānjī, wǎn bù guānjī, piānpiān zài zuì yàojǐn de shíhou guānjī le.

  The phone could have died earlier or later, but it shut down at the most important moment.

• Listen 他早不走，晚不走，偏偏我们要开会的时候走了。

  他早不走，晚不走，偏偏我们要开会的时候走了。

  Tā zǎo bù zǒu, wǎn bù zǒu, piānpiān wǒmen yào kāihuì de shíhou zǒu le.

  He could have left sooner or later, but he left just as we were about to start the meeting.

• Listen 早也不下雨，晚也不下雨，偏偏我们去爬山的那天下起了大雨。

  早也不下雨，晚也不下雨，偏偏我们去爬山的那天下起了大雨。

  Zǎo yě bú xiàyǔ, wǎn yě bú xiàyǔ, piānpiān wǒmen qù pá shān de nà tiān xià qǐ le dàyǔ.

  Not before, not after: it poured on the very day we went hiking.

• Listen 这台电脑早不坏，晚不坏，恰好在我交报告的前一天坏了。

  这台电脑早不坏，晚不坏，恰好在我交报告的前一天坏了。

  Zhè tái diànnǎo zǎo bú huài, wǎn bú huài, qiàhǎo zài wǒ jiāo bàogào de qián yì tiān huài le.

  This computer broke down the day before I had to hand in my report, neither sooner nor later.

• Listen 你早不说，晚不说，现在飞机都快起飞了才说，让我怎么办？

  你早不说，晚不说，现在飞机都快起飞了才说，让我怎么办？

  Nǐ zǎo bù shuō, wǎn bù shuō, xiànzài fēijī dōu kuài qǐfēi le cái shuō, ràng wǒ zěnme bàn?

  You couldn't have said it sooner or later? You wait until the plane is about to take off! What am I supposed to do?