要是…就…
HSK 3- Conditionals
Structure (结构 jiégòu)
Meaning (意思 yìsi)
Used to express an "if... then..." conditional supposition, commonly used in informal spoken language.
Explanation (解释 jiěshì)
要是…就… is a common way to express the hypothetical "if… then…" relationship in Chinese. Compared with 如果, 要是 carries a more intimate and casual tone, and is typically used in everyday conversation.
The clause introduced by 要是 states a hypothesis, while the clause introduced by 就 states the corresponding result or action that would occur if that hypothesis were true.
Examples (例句 lìjù)(5)
- 你要是累了，就休息一下吧。Nǐ yàoshi lèi le, jiù xiūxi yíxià ba.
If you're tired, then take a rest.
- 要是明天下雨，我们就不去了。繁: 要是明天下雨，我們就不去了。Yàoshi míngtiān xià yǔ, wǒmen jiù bú qù le.
If it rains tomorrow, we won't go.
- 要是不懂，就问老师。繁: 要是不懂，就問老師。Yàoshi bù dǒng, jiù wèn lǎoshī.
If you don't understand, ask the teacher.
- 要是太贵了，我就不买了。繁: 要是太貴了，我就不買了。Yàoshi tài guì le, wǒ jiù bù mǎi le.
If it's too expensive, I won't buy it.
- 你要是有时间，我们就一起吃饭。繁: 你要是有時間，我們就一起吃飯。Nǐ yàoshi yǒu shíjiān, wǒmen jiù yìqǐ chīfàn.
If you have time, we can go eat together.
Common mistakes
- Wrong:要是你喜欢，我送给你。Correct:要是你喜欢，我就送给你。
In this structure, the adverb `就` is essential for connecting two clauses and should not be omitted as it might be in Vietnamese.
- Wrong:要是你不去，我也不去就。Correct:你要是不去，我也就不去。
就 is an adverb and must come before the verb. The subject of the following clause (if present) comes before 就.