2 · Linking clauses
If: rúguǒ … jiù
conditional sentences
The condition comes first with rúguǒ or yàoshi, and the consequence follows with jiù after its subject.
A condition opens with 如果, “if”, and the consequence usually carries 就, “then”: 如果明天下雨，我们就不去了, “if it rains tomorrow, we won’t go”. 就 is an adverb, not a conjunction: it stands after the subject of the second clause, directly before the verb. English “then” stands before the subject, and that is the mistake to watch for.
In conversation 要是 often replaces 如果, and the condition can be closed with 的话: 如果有时间的话, 要是你累了的话. 的话 can even do the job alone, with no word at the front: 你不喜欢的话，就别买了.
Chinese has no special verb form for things that are not true. English separates “if I have money” from “if I had money” and “if I had had money”; Chinese uses the same pattern for all three and lets the situation decide. 如果我是你 can only be imaginary, and 如果你早一点儿告诉我，我就去了 is clearly about a past that did not happen.
The condition comes first. English often puts it last — “I’ll go if you go” — but Chinese turns it round: 如果你去，我就去. Like 因为, 如果 may also stand after the subject: 你如果不舒服，就回家吧.
The form
| if … then | 如果明天下雨，我们就不去了。 |
| spoken: 要是 | 要是你累了，就休息一下。 |
| closed with 的话 | 如果有时间的话，我就去。 |
| 的话 alone | 你不喜欢的话，就别买了。 |
| 如果 after the subject | 你如果不舒服，就回家吧。 |
| a past that did not happen | 如果你早一点儿告诉我，我就去了。 |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is about
The condition comes first with 如果; the consequence follows, usually with 就.
如果你有问题，就给我发信息。If you have any questions, just send me a message.
就 is an adverb: it stands after the subject of the second clause, right before the verb — never in front of the subject.
如果明天天气好，我们就去海边。If the weather is good tomorrow, we’ll go to the seaside.
要是 is the spoken word for “if”, and 的话 can close the condition — with or without a word at the front.
要是你饿了的话，冰箱里有面包。If you’re hungry, there’s bread in the fridge.
There is no special form for what is not true; the same pattern says “if I had” and “if I had had”, and the context does the rest.
如果我是你，我就不买。If I were you, I wouldn’t buy it.
A closer look
Conditions with no “if” at all
Spoken Chinese often leaves out 如果 altogether and lets 就 carry the condition on its own: 你去我就去, “if you go, I’ll go”, or 下雨就不去了, “if it rains we won’t go”. Two short clauses side by side with 就 in the second are understood as “if … then”.
The negative condition “if it weren’t for” has its own word: 要不是. 要不是你帮我，我早就迷路了, “if it weren’t for your help, I would have got lost long ago”. For a condition that is unlikely but worrying, “in case”, see 万一.
Exceptions and special cases (1)
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the second clause is a question or has no verb for 就 to attach to
就 is left out.
如果你不去，谁去？If you don’t go, who will?
就 needs a verb to stand in front of; a question word such as 谁 as the subject leaves no natural place for it.
How to spot it
- 如果
- 要是
- 的话
- 如果…就…
Example sentences
如果你明天有空，我们就一起吃午饭吧。If you’re free tomorrow, let’s have lunch together.
要是坐地铁，二十分钟就到了。If you take the underground, you’ll be there in twenty minutes.
你不想说的话，就别说了。If you don’t want to talk about it, then don’t.
如果我有很多钱，我就去世界各地旅行。If I had lots of money, I would travel all over the world.
如果你早一点儿出发，就不会迟到了。If you had set off a bit earlier, you wouldn’t have been late.
要是明天还这么热，我就在家待着。If it’s still this hot tomorrow, I’ll stay at home.
7 more example sentences
如果你不明白，就再问一遍。If you don’t understand, just ask again.
要是他来了，你就让他等一下。If he comes, ask him to wait a moment.
你喜欢的话，这本书就送给你。If you like it, this book is yours.
如果明天下雪，学校可能会停课。If it snows tomorrow, classes may be cancelled.
要是我知道你在家，我早就来看你了。If I had known you were at home, I would have come to see you long ago.
如果觉得冷，就多穿一点儿。If you feel cold, put something else on.
我如果有时间，就去机场接你。If I have time, I’ll pick you up at the airport.
Worth knowing (1)
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“If” that means “whether”
In “I don’t know if he is coming”, English “if” means “whether”, and that is not 如果. Chinese uses an open question inside the sentence instead — an A-not-A form or a question word.
我不知道他来不来。I don’t know if he is coming.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
English “then” stands in front of the subject: “then we won’t go”. 就 is an adverb like 也 and 都, and adverbs in Chinese stand after the subject. If the second clause has no subject of its own, 就 simply opens it.
Condition first with rúguǒ, then the subject, then jiù — jiù never goes in front of the subject.
Your turn
9 exercises on this topic. Your answers are checked in the browser; none of them leaves your device.