Difference between revisions of "Expressing "if" with "ruguo... dehua""

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*不 想 去 <em>的话</em> <strong>就</strong> 别 去 了 。<span class="pinyin">Bù xiǎng qù <em>dehuà</em> <em>jiù</em> bié qù le.</span><span class="trans">Don't go if you don't feel like going.</span>
 
*不 想 去 <em>的话</em> <strong>就</strong> 别 去 了 。<span class="pinyin">Bù xiǎng qù <em>dehuà</em> <em>jiù</em> bié qù le.</span><span class="trans">Don't go if you don't feel like going.</span>
*不 舒服 <em>的话</em> ,今天 <strong>就</strong> 别 去 上班 了 。 <span class="pinyin">Bù shūfu <em>dehuà</em>, jīntiān jiù bié qù shàngbān le.</span><span class="trans">If you don't feel well, I think you should stay at home instead of going to work today.</span>
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*好吃 的 <em>的话</em> <strong>就</strong> 多 吃 点 。<span class="pinyin">Hǎochī de <em>dehuà</em>, <strong>jiù</strong> duō chī diǎn.</span><span class="trans">If you think it's tasty, eat some more.</span>
 
*喜欢 <strong>就</strong> 拿走 吧 。<span class="pinyin">Xǐhuan <em>dehuà</em>, <em>jiù</em> názǒu ba.</span><span class="trans">Take it if you like it.</span>
 
*喜欢 <strong>就</strong> 拿走 吧 。<span class="pinyin">Xǐhuan <em>dehuà</em>, <em>jiù</em> názǒu ba.</span><span class="trans">Take it if you like it.</span>
 
*有空 来 我 家 玩 。<span class="pinyin">Yǒu kòng lái wǒ jiā wán.</span><span class="trans">If you're not busy, come to my place so we can hang out.</span>
 
*有空 来 我 家 玩 。<span class="pinyin">Yǒu kòng lái wǒ jiā wán.</span><span class="trans">If you're not busy, come to my place so we can hang out.</span>

Revision as of 02:46, 2 January 2018

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.

Fuller Pattern

Structure

如果 ⋯⋯ 的话 ,(就) ⋯⋯

Note that 就 is often optional.

Examples

  • 如果 明天 下雨 的话 ,我们 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 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 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 不 同意 的话 ,你 怎么办 ?Rúguǒ tā háishì bù tóngyì dehuà, nǐ zěnmebàn?What will you do if he disapprove?

Simple Pattern

Colloquially, 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 的话 nor 就, and let the "if" be completely implied.

Structure

⋯⋯ (的话) ,(就) ⋯⋯

Examples

  • 不 想 去 的话 别 去 了 。Bù xiǎng qù dehuà jiù bié qù le.Don't go if you don't feel like going.
  • 好吃 的 的话 多 吃 点 。Hǎochī de dehuà, jiù duō chī diǎn.If you think it's tasty, eat some more.
  • 喜欢 拿走 吧 。Xǐhuan dehuà, jiù názǒu ba.Take it if you like it.
  • 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 dǎ diànhuà.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

Sources and further reading

Books

Websties