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ChineseGrammarWiki


			
				
					
						
						
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<p>&quot;如果⋯⋯的话，⋯⋯&quot; (rúguǒ... de huà, ...) is a pattern commonly used in Chinese to express &quot;if.&quot; An easy way to remember the pattern's format is that in the full form, the condition is &quot;sandwiched&quot; between 如果 and 的话.</p>
<p>An important thing to note is that 如果 can be switched out for the various other terms for &quot;if,&quot; including <a href="&quot;If…_Then…&quot;_with_&quot;yaoshi&quot;" title="wikilink">the common 要是</a> (yàoshi) and <a href="&quot;If…_Then…&quot;_with_&quot;jiaru&quot;" title="wikilink">the formal 假如</a> (jiǎrú), among others. Also, keep in mind that the 的话 at the end is optional, and even the leading &quot;if&quot; word is optional! Even when there are no explicit &quot;if&quot; words in a sentence, though, the &quot;if&quot; can be inferred from context. But be glad if you get either a 如果 or a 的话; it makes understanding the sentence that much easier!</p>
<h2 id="examples">Examples</h2>
<div class="liju">
<ul>
<li><em>如果</em> 你 有 空 <em>的话</em>，我们 可以 明天 晚上 看 电影。<span class="trans">If you have time, we can go see a movie tomorrow night.</span></li>
<li><em>如果</em> 没有 你的帮助 <em>的话</em>，他 是 不会 得到 这份 工作 的。<span class="trans">If you didn't help him, he wouldn't get the job offer.</span></li>
<li><em>如果</em> 你 不 来 <em>的话</em>，老师 会 很 失望。<span class="trans">If you don't come, the teacher will be disappointed.</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h2 id="see-also">See also</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="&quot;If…,_then…&quot;_with_&quot;ruguo…,_jiu…&quot;" title="wikilink">&quot;If…, then…&quot; with &quot;ruguo…, jiu…&quot;</a></li>
<li><a href="Marking_a_Topic_with_&quot;de_hua&quot;" title="wikilink">Marking a Topic with &quot;de hua&quot;</a></li>
<li><a href="&quot;If…_Then…&quot;_with_&quot;yaoshi&quot;" title="wikilink">&quot;If… Then…&quot; with &quot;yaoshi&quot;</a></li>
<li><a href="&quot;Only_if&quot;_with_&quot;zhiyou&quot;" title="wikilink">&quot;Only if&quot; with &quot;zhiyou&quot;</a></li>
</ul>
<h2 id="sources-and-further-reading">Sources and further reading</h2>
<h3 id="books">Books</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="Modern_Mandarin_Chinese_Grammar:_A_Practical_Guide" title="wikilink">Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide</a> (pp. 280) <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0415700108?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=allset-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=0415700108">→buy</a></li>
</ul>
<h3 id="websties">Websties</h3>
<ul>
<li>Chinesegrammar.info: <a href="http://chinesegrammar.info/vocabulary/de-hua-expressing-if/">Chinese grammar de hua (的话): expressing “if” in Chinese with de hua</a></li>
</ul>
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<p><a href="Category:B1_grammar_points" title="wikilink">Category:B1 grammar points</a></p>