Difference between revisions of "Expressing "if… then…" with "yaoshi""
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| − | "要是..., 就..." (yàoshi..., jiù...) is one of several ways to convey "If... Then..." It is very similar to "如果..., 就... | + | "要是..., 就..." (yàoshi..., jiù...) is one of several ways to convey "If... Then..." It is very similar to [["If…, then…" with "ruguo…, jiu…"|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: | Here's the basic structure: | ||
Revision as of 07:13, 11 November 2011
"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 想 上班 , 老板 就 会 解雇 你!
- 要是 我 不 开始 工作， 我 就 不 会 按时 做 完 了。
- 要是 他 不 来，我们 就 离开 吧。
Sources and further reading
Books
- Common Chinese Patterns 330 (pp. 246)
- Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide (pp. 278)
