只要……就How to Say "As Long As" with 只要……就

The pattern

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

只要 can go before or after the subject of the first part: 只要你努力 and 你只要努力 are both fine. The condition comes first. 就 goes before the verb in the second part, after its subject if it has one.

1. 只要你努力，就能学好汉语。Zhǐyào nǐ nǔlì, jiù néng xuéhǎo Hànyǔ.As long as you work hard, you'll learn Chinese well.
2. 只要不下雨，我们就去公园。Zhǐyào bú xià yǔ, wǒmen jiù qù gōngyuán.As long as it doesn't rain, we'll go to the park.
3. 你只要多练习，就会说得很好。Nǐ zhǐyào duō liànxí, jiù huì shuō de hěn hǎo.As long as you practise a lot, you'll speak it well.

"All you have to do is..."

只要 often says that the condition is easy: just do this one thing and the result will follow. It can also describe a habit, where it is close to "whenever".

1. 只要你打个电话，他就会来。Zhǐyào nǐ dǎ ge diànhuà, tā jiù huì lái.All you have to do is call, and he'll come.
2. 只要你喜欢，就买吧。Zhǐyào nǐ xǐhuan, jiù mǎi ba.If you like it, just buy it.
3. 只要有时间，我就去跑步。Zhǐyào yǒu shíjiān, wǒ jiù qù pǎobù.Whenever I have time, I go running.
4. 只要你不说，他就不会知道。Zhǐyào nǐ bù shuō, tā jiù bú huì zhīdào.As long as you don't tell him, he won't find out.

只要……就 vs 只有……才

只有 (zhǐyǒu) looks similar but means "only if": the condition is the one thing that must happen, and nothing else will do. It goes with 才, not 就. 只要 goes with 就, not 才.

Mixing the two pairs is the most common mistake. 只要你努力，才能学好 and 只有你去，我就去 are both wrong.

1. 只有多练习，才能说好汉语。Zhǐyǒu duō liànxí, cái néng shuōhǎo Hànyǔ.Only by practising a lot can you speak Chinese well.
2. 只有你来，我才去。Zhǐyǒu nǐ lái, wǒ cái qù.I'll only go if you come.

Printable worksheet

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