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

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"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 the condition is "sandwiched" between 如果 and 的话.

An important thing to note is that 如果 can be switched out for the various other terms for "if", including the common 要是 and the formal 假如, among others.

Here are some examples of this pattern:

  • 如果你有空的话,我们可以明天晚上看电影。
  • 如果不是你教他的话,他是不会通过的。
  • 如果你不来的话,老师会很失望。

Sources and further reading

Books