Expressing "if… then…" with "yaoshi"

"要是..., 就..." (yàoshi..., jiù...) is one of several ways to convey "If... Then..." It is very similar to 如果..., 就... in usage and formality. However, it is important to note that 要是 is considered to be even more informal (and is usually left more to spoken Chinese) than 如果 and used more frequently in the northern areas of China.

Here's the basic structure:

要是 + Statement + 就 + Result

Here are some examples:

• 要是 你 不去 上班 , 老板 就 会 解雇 你!
• 要是 我 不 现在 开始 工作， 我 就 不 能 按时 完成。
• 要是 他 不 来，我们 就 走 吧。

See also

• "If…, then…" with "ruguo…, jiu…"
• "If… Then…" with "jiaru"
• "If… Then…" with "jiashi"

Sources and further reading

Books

• Common Chinese Patterns 330 (汉语常用格式330例) (pp. 246) →buy
• Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide (pp. 278) →buy
• New Practical Chinese Reader 4 (新实用汉语课本4) (pp. 41-2) →buy