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<title>Expressing "if" with "ruguo... dehua"</title>
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<h1>Expressing "if" with "ruguo... dehua"</h1>

<p>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.</p>

<h2>Contents</h2>

  
<div class="contents"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">1 Fuller Pattern </span></li>
<ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">1.1 Structure </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">1.2 Examples </span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">2 Simple Pattern </span></li>
<ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">2.1 Structure </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">2.2 Examples </span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">3 See also </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">4 Sources and further reading </span></li>
<ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">4.1 Books </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">4.2 Websties</span></li>
</ul>
</ul>
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<h2>Fuller Pattern
</h2>
<h3>Structure</h3>

<div class="deux">如果 ⋯⋯ 的话 ，(就) ⋯⋯</div>

<p>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…….</p>

<h3>Examples</h3>

<div class="exemple"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">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. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">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. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">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. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">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. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">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?</span><br/></li>
</ul>
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<h2>Simple Pattern</h2>

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

<h3>Structure</h3>

<div class="deux">⋯⋯ (的话) ，就 ⋯⋯
</div>
<h3>Examples</h3>

<div class="exemple"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">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. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">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. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">喜欢 就 拿走 吧 。
Xǐhuan jiù názǒu ba.
Take it if you like it.</span><br/></li>
</ul>
</div>

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

<div class="exemple"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">有 事 给 我 打电话 。
Yǒu shì gěi wǒ dǎ diànhuà.
Give me a call if you need anything. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">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.</span><br/></li>
</ul>
</div>

<p>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.</p>

<h3>See also</h3>

<div class="See-also"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">"If…, then…" with "ruguo…, jiu…" </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">"If… Then…" with "yaoshi" </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Marking a topic with "de hua"
"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Only if" with "zhiyou"</span><br/></li>
</ul>
</div>

<h3>Sources and further reading</h3>

<h4>Books</h4>

<div class="See-also"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide (pp. 280) →buy</span><br/></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h4>Websties</h4>

<div class="See-also"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Chinesegrammar.info: Chinese grammar de hua (的话): expressing “if” in Chinese with de hua</span><br/></li>
</ul>
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