How To Say "If" In Mandarin Chinese (Conditionals)

Conditional sentences are “if” sentences.

These sentences help to describe the likely results when a certain condition is met, express what could have happened, what will happen, or what you wish will happen under specific conditions.

In Mandarin Chinese, there are several ways to express “if”, and they’re important to learn since they appear often in daily conversations.

Let’s look at how you can form these conditional sentences in Mandarin Chinese.

Future conditionals

When using this type of conditional statement, you would typically refer to events or outcomes that are likely to happen if one or more conditions are met.

At times, it can also present as a suggestion that encourages the other party to take a specific action if certain things happen.

The most common way to do this is by using the phrase 如果 (rúguǒ) in Mandarin Chinese.

Let’s look at how you can use this phrase and others to express hypothetical situations.

如果…, 就

English meaning: If…, then

Pinyin / Pronunciation: Rúguǒ…, jiù

This phrase is one of the most commonly used for conditional statements. It contains two parts, 如果, which translates to “if, ” and 就, which translates to “then.”

It works similarly to English, where the “if” or 如果 appears in the conditional clause, and the “then” or 就 in the second half that states the likely outcome. Also, keep in mind that the subject of the clause should always come before the 就.

In English, you can drop the “then.” The same can be done to 就 in Mandarin.

Here are some examples:

If you’d like to sound casual and natural, you can also replace 就 with 那 (nà) or 那么 (nàme). They convey the same meaning and appear together with the outcome part of the sentence.

For instance:

如果…的话

English meaning: If…

Pinyin / Pronunciation: Rúguǒ…dehuà

Another way to use 如果 is with 的话. When using these together, the correct sentence structure should have the condition positioned in between 如果 and 的话. In other words, you’ll sandwich the condition between the two.

Similar to what we talked about above, you can add 就 to the other half of the sentence to go along with the outcome or result clause. But this is optional.

In everyday speech, you can drop the 如果 and just use 的话. This gives your sentence a very informal and casual tone.

For example:

要是…, 就

English meaning: If…, then

Pinyin / Pronunciation: Yàoshi…, jiù

Note that 要是…, 就 can be used pretty similarly to 如果…, 就. They convey the same meaning and share a similar tone, though 要是 can sometimes have a more casual and informal ring to it.

Keep in mind that the subject of the first clause can come before or after 要是. On the other hand, the subject must always come before 就 in the second clause.

Here are some examples:

You can also drop the 就 or shorten 要是 to just 要.

For example:

Additionally, you can add 的话 at the end of the first clause. Here’s an example:

只有…, 才

English meaning: Only if…then can (you)

Pinyin / Pronunciation: Zhǐyǒu…, Cái

This phrase is used to convey the message that the only way to achieve a specific desired outcome is by meeting the suggested conditions.

The 只有, which means “only if,” comes before the conditional clause. The 才 comes before the desirable result. The 才 is often followed right after by a 能, but this is not always the case. The 才 helps to highlight that only this single course of action can bring about the wanted results.

Here are some examples:

除非…, 才

English meaning: Only if…, then can (you)

Pinyin / Pronunciation: Chúfēi…, Cái

This phrase is extremely similar to the one above. It also conveys the meaning of “if and only if.” This lets the other person know that this is the one and only way for the desired outcome to happen.

Here’s an example:

You can also use 除非 (chúfēi) with 否则 (fǒuzé) or 不然 (bùrán). When combining 除非 with either 否则 or 不然, your sentence will have the meaning of “Unless this happens, that will happen.”

For instance:

只要…, 就

English meaning: As long as…, then

Pinyin / Pronunciation: Zhǐyào…, jiù

只要 translates to “as long as” in English. You can 只要 in the same way as you would use “as long as” in English.

Basically, 只要…, 就 conveys the meaning that as long as the stated condition is met, the outcome in the second clause will happen.

Here are some examples:

The biggest difference between 只要 and 只有 is this: 只要 shows that the action is one of many ways to achieve the outcome, though it is a very reliable method to do so. Meanwhile, 只有 means that the conditions stated are the only single method of achieving the desired results.

假使…, 就

English meaning: If…, then

Pinyin / Pronunciation: Jiǎshǐ…, jiù

Compared to 如果 and 要是, 假使 is a much more formal way of saying “if.” It’s primarily used in written formal Mandarin, so you won’t hear it in daily conversations.

The following are some examples:

假如…, 就

English meaning: If…, then

Pinyin / Pronunciation: Jiǎrú…, jiù

假如 carries the same meaning as 如果 and 要是. It can be used in spoken and written Chinese, but it tends to be more formal than the other two.

假如 comes together with the first clause of the sentence explaining the conditions. Meanwhile, 就 appears in the second clause, which mentions the outcome. You can also drop the 就.

For instance:

一旦…, 就

English meaning: Once…, then

Pinyin / Pronunciation: Yīdàn…, jiù

This phrase is used to express cause and effect. It clarifies that once something happens, a certain event will also take place.

For example:

Conditional sentences expressing facts

This type of conditional sentence talks about general truths and facts, as well as events that typically or regularly happen when certain conditions are met.

The most common way to do this is by using 当…时 (dāng… shí). Essentially, you can use this to show that when event A occurs, event B will also take place as well.

For example:

You can also use 每当…时 (měi dāng…shí) in a similar manner. It conveys the meaning of “whenever this happens, that will happen, too.”

Here are some examples:

Past conditionals

There are also conditional sentences in Mandarin Chinese linked to the past. These usually involve hypothetical situations that could have occurred differently if a certain condition was met.

You can use the phrase we discussed earlier to 如果 to build this type of conditional sentence. Again, you can pair it with 就 or simply leave it out.

Here are some examples of conditional sentences that talk about past events:

You can also use 要不是…, 就 (yào bùshì…, jiù) to create conditional sentences talking about the past. This phrase translates to “if it were not for…” or “without.” 要不是 is sometimes followed by 的话.

The second clause in the sentence talks about what could have happened.

For instance:

Conclusion

如果 is the most common way to say “if” and build conditional sentences in Mandarin Chinese. 要是 and 假如 can also be used in the same way.

There are also specific phrases like 只要 and 只有, which means “as long as” and “only if” respectively. These can also be used to create conditional sentences.

With a little practice, you’ll know which “if” fits best in your sentence.

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