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。If you don't review well, you won't be able to pass tomorrow's test.
• 她 如果 喝 太 多 啤酒，就 会 发酒疯。If she drinks to much beer, she is going to get drunk.
• 我 如果 在 北京 找不到 工作，就 会 回 昆明。If I can't find a job in Beijing, I'm going to go back to Kunming.

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 create the "if" sandwich pattern.

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) If you go, tell her I say hello.
• 下次 有 时间 的话，一定 要 找 我 玩儿。(Using only 的话) When you have time, you need to find me so we can hang out.
• 如果 你 不 忙 的话，可以 帮 我 联系 客户 吗？(Using both 如果 and 的话) If you're not busy, can you help me connect with customers?

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