HSK grammarHSK 3

如果……就How to Say "If" with 如果……就

如果 (rúguǒ) means "if". It starts the condition, and 就 (jiù) often comes in the second part to mean "then". In Chinese the condition almost always comes first.

The pattern

如果 + condition, (subject) + 就 + result.

如果 can go before or after the subject of the first part: 如果你累了 and 你如果累了 are both fine. 就 goes before the verb in the second part. It isn't always needed, but it makes the link between the two parts clear.

  1. 如果明天下雨,我们就不去了。Rúguǒ míngtiān xià yǔ, wǒmen jiù bú qù le.If it rains tomorrow, we won't go.
  2. 如果你有时间,就来我家玩吧。Rúguǒ nǐ yǒu shíjiān, jiù lái wǒ jiā wán ba.If you have time, come over to my place.
  3. 你如果累了,就休息一下吧。Nǐ rúguǒ lèi le, jiù xiūxi yíxià ba.If you're tired, have a rest.

Where 就 goes

If the second part has its own subject, 就 comes after the subject, not before it. Say 我就去, not 就我去. If the second part has no subject, 就 starts it.

  1. 如果你不想去,我就一个人去。Rúguǒ nǐ bù xiǎng qù, wǒ jiù yí ge rén qù.If you don't want to go, I'll go on my own.
  2. 如果他问你,你就说不知道。Rúguǒ tā wèn nǐ, nǐ jiù shuō bù zhīdào.If he asks you, just say you don't know.
  3. 如果你饿了,我们就去吃饭。Rúguǒ nǐ è le, wǒmen jiù qù chīfàn.If you're hungry, let's go and eat.

的话 and shorter forms

You can add 的话 at the end of the condition: 如果……的话. It means the same and is very common in speech. With 的话, you can even leave out 如果.

In everyday speech, people often drop 如果 and keep only 就.

  1. 如果有问题的话,就给我打电话。Rúguǒ yǒu wèntí dehuà, jiù gěi wǒ dǎ diànhuà.If there are any problems, give me a call.
  2. 明天天气好的话,我们就去公园。Míngtiān tiānqì hǎo dehuà, wǒmen jiù qù gōngyuán.If the weather is nice tomorrow, we'll go to the park.
  3. 你累了就休息吧。Nǐ lèi le jiù xiūxi ba.Have a rest if you're tired.

"If I were you" and 就会

如果 works for real and imagined situations alike, so 如果我是你 is the way to say "if I were you". To say what will happen as a result, use 就会 + verb.

  1. 如果我是你,我就买这件。Rúguǒ wǒ shì nǐ, wǒ jiù mǎi zhè jiàn.If I were you, I'd buy this one.
  2. 如果你每天练习,你的汉语就会越来越好。Rúguǒ nǐ měi tiān liànxí, nǐ de Hànyǔ jiù huì yuè lái yuè hǎo.If you practise every day, your Chinese will get better and better.

Common mistakes

In English the "if" part can come second: "I'll go if you go". In Chinese, put the condition first: 如果你去,我就去.

如果 only means "if", never "when". For something you know will happen, use a time word such as 以后 instead.

  1. 我到家以后就给你打电话。Wǒ dào jiā yǐhòu jiù gěi nǐ dǎ diànhuà.I'll call you when I get home.

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