Expressing "if" with "ruguo... dehua"

"如果⋯⋯的话，⋯⋯" (rúguǒ... dehuà, ...) is a pattern commonly used in Chinese to express "if." An easy way to remember the pattern's format is that in the full form, the condition is "sandwiched" between 如果 and 的话. "就" is often optional.

Fuller Pattern

Structure

如果 ⋯⋯ 的话 ，(就) ⋯⋯

Examples

• 如果 明天 下雨 的话 ，我们 就 不 去 了 。Rúguǒ míngtiān xiàyǔ dehuà, wǒmen jiù bù qù le.If it rains tomorrow, we won't go.
• 别 点 那么 多 菜 。如果 吃 不 完 的话 ，就 太 浪费 了 。Bié diǎn nàme duō cài. rúguǒ chī bù wán dehuà, jiù tài làngfèi le.Don't order so much. It will be a big waste of food if we can't finish all.
• 如果 有 人 帮 他 的话 ，他 就 不 会 出事 了 。Rúguǒ yǒu rén bāng tā dehuà, tā jiù bù huì chūshì le.If someone had helped him, he would't have had this accident.
• 如果 你们 不 来 的话 ，一定 会 后悔 的 。Rúguǒ nǐmen bù lái dehuà, yīdìng huì hòuhuǐ de .If you don't come, you'll definitely regret it.
• 如果 他 还是 不 同意 的话 ，你 怎么办 ？Rúguǒ tā háishì bù tóngyì dehuà, nǐ zěnmebàn?What will you do if he still disagree?

Colloquial Pattern

Colloquially, it's also possible to drop the 如果 (rúguǒ) and just use the 的话 (dehuà) instead to mean "if." It's even possible to use neither 如果 (rúguǒ) nor 就 (jiù) , and let the "if" be completely implied.

Structure

⋯⋯ (的话) ，(就) ⋯⋯

Examples

• 你 喜欢 的话 ，就 拿走 吧 。Rúguǒ nǐ xǐhuan dehuà, jiù názǒu ba.Take it if you like it.
• 见到 他们 的话，帮 我 问 好 。 Jiàndào tāmen dehuà, bāng wǒ wènhǎo.If you meet them, tell them I say hello.
• 不 想 去 的话 就 别 去 了 。Bù xiǎng qù dehuà jiù bié qù le.Don't go if you don't feel like going.
• 有空 来 我 家 玩 。Yǒu kòng lái wǒ jiā wán.If you're not busy, come to my place so we can hang out.
• 有 事 给 我 打电话 。Yǒu shì gěi wǒ dǎdiànhuà.Give me a call if you need anything.

Note that 如果 can be switched out for the various other terms for "if," including the common 要是 (yàoshi) and the formal 假如 (jiǎrú), among others.

See also

• "If…, then…" with "ruguo…, jiu…"
• Marking a Topic with "de hua"
• "If… Then…" with "yaoshi"
• "Only if" with "zhiyou"

Sources and further reading

Books

• Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide (pp. 280) →buy

Websties

• Chinesegrammar.info: Chinese grammar de hua (的话): expressing “if” in Chinese with de hua