Expressing "if... then..." with "ruguo... jiu..."

One of the benefits of Chinese is that the grammar is often very logical and concise. In this article, we look at the "如果...,就..." structure. We will also look at uses "的话."

Simple Structure with just 如果

"如果..., 就..." (rúguǒ..., jiù...) is an often-used pattern that is utilized in the same way that "If..., then..." is in English.

如果 + [Statement] + 就 + [Result]

Examples with just 如果

• 如果 不 好好 复习，你就 无法 通过 明天 的 考试。
• 她 如果 喝 太 多 啤酒，就 会 发酒疯。
• 我 如果 在 北京 找不到 工作，就 会 回 昆明。

Fuller Structure with 的话

Although 如果 can be used to mean "if" all by itself, it's often used together with the phrase 的话 () to "sandwich" the "if" part.

如果 + [Statement] + 的话, + 就 + [Result]

Here's the slightly tricky thing: while you can use 如果 without 的话, it's also possible to drop the 如果 and just use the 的话 instead to mean "if." It's even possible to use neither, and let the "if" be completely implied.

Examples with 的话

• 如果 你 去 的话，帮 我 跟 她 问 好。 (Using both 如果 and 的话)
• 下次 有 时间 的话，一定 要 找 我 玩儿。(Using only 的话)
• 如果 你 不 忙 的话，可以 帮 我 联系 客户 吗？(Using both 如果 and 的话)

See also

• Marking a Topic with "de hua"
• "If… Then…" with "yaoshi"
• "If… Then…" with "jiaru"
• "Only if" with "zhiyou"

Sources and further reading

Books

• Common Chinese Patterns 330 (汉语常用格式330例) (pp. 184) →buy
• New Practical Chinese Reader 2 (新实用汉语课本2) (pp. 240) →buy