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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
\
[![](Expressing%20%22if%22%20with%20%22ruguo...%20dehua%22%20-%20Chinese%20Grammar%20Wiki_fichiers/CGW-iBooks-150_150.jpg "fig:Expressing%20%22if%22%20with%20%22ruguo...%20dehua%22%20-%20Chinese%20Grammar%20Wiki_fichiers/CGW-iBooks-150_150.jpg")](http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1286538933)
[![](Expressing%20%22if%22%20with%20%22ruguo...%20dehua%22%20-%20Chinese%20Grammar%20Wiki_fichiers/cog.png "fig:Expressing%20%22if%22%20with%20%22ruguo...%20dehua%22%20-%20Chinese%20Grammar%20Wiki_fichiers/cog.png")](# "wikilink")
- === Sample Sentence Options ===
- Spaces
- Hide spaces between Chinese words
- Pinyin
- Hide pinyin
- Translations
- Hide translations
Expressing "if" with "ruguo... dehua"
=====================================
[![](Expressing%20%22if%22%20with%20%22ruguo...%20dehua%22%20-%20Chinese%20Grammar%20Wiki_fichiers/link.png "fig:Expressing%20%22if%22%20with%20%22ruguo...%20dehua%22%20-%20Chinese%20Grammar%20Wiki_fichiers/link.png")](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/ASGN4VUU)
-
Level
[B1](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/B1_grammar_points)
-
Similar to
Used for
[Indicating
conditions](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Indicating_conditions),
[Expressing
possibility](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_possibility)
-
Keywords
[如果](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E5%A6%82%E6%9E%9C),
[的话](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E7%9A%84%E8%AF%9D),
[就](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E5%B0%B1)
-
Translations
[if](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/If)
[![Chinese-grammar-wiki-ruguo.jpg](Expressing%20%22if%22%20with%20%22ruguo...%20dehua%22%20-%20Chinese%20Grammar%20Wiki_fichiers/300px-Chinese-grammar-wiki-ruguo.jpg "fig:Chinese-grammar-wiki-ruguo.jpg"){width="300"
height="300"}](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/File:Chinese-grammar-wiki-ruguo.jpg)
Contents
--------
[hide]([# "wikilink")\]
- [1 Fuller
Pattern](#Fuller_Pattern "wikilink")
- [1.1
Structure](#Structure "wikilink")
- [1.2
Examples](#Examples "wikilink")
- [2 Simple
Pattern](#Simple_Pattern "wikilink")
- [2.1
Structure](#Structure_2 "wikilink")
- [2.2
Examples](#Examples_2 "wikilink")
- [3 See
also](#See_also "wikilink")
- [4 Sources and
further reading](#Sources_and_further_reading "wikilink")
- [4.1
Books](#Books "wikilink")
- [4.2
Websties](#Websties "wikilink")
如果 ⋯⋯ 的话 ,(就) ⋯⋯
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……](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_%22if%E2%80%A6,_then%E2%80%A6%22_with_%22ruguo%E2%80%A6,_jiu%E2%80%A6%22).
### 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
⋯⋯ (的话) ,就 ⋯⋯
### 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](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%22If%E2%80%A6_Then%E2%80%A6%22_with_%22yaoshi%22)
(yàoshi) and [the formal
假如](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%22If%E2%80%A6_Then%E2%80%A6%22_with_%22jiaru%22)
(jiǎrú), among others.
See also
-------------------------------------------------------
- ["If…, then…" with "ruguo…,
jiu…"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%22If%E2%80%A6,_then%E2%80%A6%22_with_%22ruguo%E2%80%A6,_jiu%E2%80%A6%22)
- ["If… Then…" with
"yaoshi"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%22If%E2%80%A6_Then%E2%80%A6%22_with_%22yaoshi%22)
- [Marking a topic with "de
hua"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Marking_a_topic_with_%22de_hua%22)
- ["Only if" with
"zhiyou"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%22Only_if%22_with_%22zhiyou%22)
Sources and further reading
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
### Books
- [Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical
Guide](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Modern_Mandarin_Chinese_Grammar:_A_Practical_Guide) (pp.
280) [→buy](http://amzn.to/2xCpX2m)
### Websties
- Chinesegrammar.info: [Chinese grammar de hua (的话): expressing “if”
in Chinese with de
hua](http://chinesegrammar.info/vocabulary/de-hua-expressing-if/)
[Category](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Special:Categories):
- [B1 grammar
points](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Category:B1_grammar_points)
[![](Expressing%20%22if%22%20with%20%22ruguo...%20dehua%22%20-%20Chinese%20Grammar%20Wiki_fichiers/CGW-print-500_120.jpg "fig:Expressing%20%22if%22%20with%20%22ruguo...%20dehua%22%20-%20Chinese%20Grammar%20Wiki_fichiers/CGW-print-500_120.jpg")](http://amzn.to/2iioVRP)
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