Expressing "if" with "ruguo... dehua"

如果⋯⋯的话 (rúguǒ... dehuà) is a pattern commonly used in Chinese to express "if." An easy way to remember the pattern's format is that in the full form, the condition is "sandwiched" between 如果 and 的话.

Fuller Pattern

Structure

Note that 就 (jiù) is often optional. For more on using 如果 with 就, check out the "if…, then…" two-part pattern with 如果……就…….

Examples

如果明天下雨的话，我们就不去了。 Rúguǒ míngtiān xiàyǔ dehuà, wǒmen jiù bù qù le. If it rains tomorrow, we won't go.
别点那么多菜。如果吃不完的话，就太浪费了。 Bié diǎn nàme duō cài. Rúguǒ chī bù wán dehuà, jiù tài làngfèi le. Don't order so much. It will be a big waste of food if we can't finish all.
如果有人帮他的话，他就不会出事了。 Rúguǒ yǒu rén bāng tā dehuà, tā jiù bù huì chūshì le. If someone had helped him, he would't have had this accident.
如果你们不来的话，一定会后悔的。 Rúguǒ nǐmen bù lái dehuà, yīdìng huì hòuhuǐ de . If you don't come, you'll definitely regret it.
如果他不同意的话，你怎么办？ Rúguǒ tā bù tóngyì dehuà, nǐ zěnmebàn? What will you do if he disapproves?

Simple Pattern

Colloquially, it's also possible to drop the 如果 and just use the 的话 instead to mean "if." 的话 is optional.

Structure

Examples

不想去的话就别去了。 Bù xiǎng qù dehuà jiù bié qù le. Don't go if you don't feel like going.
好吃的的话，就多吃点。 Hǎochī de dehuà, jiù duō chī diǎn. If you think it's tasty, eat some more.
喜欢就拿走吧。 Xǐhuan jiù názǒu ba. Take it if you like it.

It's even possible to use neither 的话 nor 就, and let the "if" be completely implied.

有事给我打电话。 Yǒu shì gěi wǒ dǎ diànhuà. Give me a call if you need anything.
有空来我家玩。 Yǒu kòng lái wǒ jiā wán. If you're not busy, come to my place so we can hang out.

Note that 如果 can be switched out for the various other terms for "if," including the common 要是 (yàoshi) and the formal 假如 (jiǎrú), among others.

Expressing "if" with "ruguo... dehua"

Contents

Fuller Pattern

Structure

Examples

Simple Pattern

Structure

Examples

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

Websties