Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar

45 expressing conditions

45.1 ‘If then’ conditional sentences

Mandarin uses the following words to express ‘if’ in conditional sentences.

要是 yàoshi

如果 rúguǒ

假如 jiǎrú

假使 jiǎshǐ

倘若 tǎngruò

倘使 tǎngshǐ

要是 yàoshi and 如果 rúguǒ are commonly used in formal and informal speech or writing.

假如 jiǎrú is used in more formal speech or writing.

假使 jiǎshǐ, 倘若 tǎngruò, and 倘使 tǎngshǐ are most commonly used in formal, written

Chinese.

The ‘if’ word is placed before or after the subject in the first clause of a sentence.

Mandarin does not have a word that specifically corresponds to ‘then’ in conditional sentences.

Instead, the adverb 就 jiù typically occurs in the second clause, immediately before the

[prepositional phrase +] verb phrase.

C15.2.4

(^) Note 便 biàn or 则/則 zé are sometimes used instead of 就 jiù before the [prepositional phrase +] verb phrase
of the second clause.
Here are examples of conditional sentences.
要是 yàoshi
要是你不给他钱，他就不会给你做事。
要是你不給他錢，他就不會給你做事。
Yàoshi nǐ bù gěi tā qián, tā jiù bù huì gěi nǐ zuò shì.
If you don’t pay him, he won’t work for you.
如果 rúguǒ
如果你是我，你也不会同意他的看法的。
如果你是我，你也不會同意他的看法的。
Rúguǒ nǐ shì wǒ, nǐ yě bù huì tóngyì tā de kànfa de.
(^) If you were me, you wouldn’t agree with his viewpoint either.