如果...就 (rúguǒ...jiù) — If...Then
Conditional sentences in Chinese
Category: Grammar
The Rule
如果 (rúguǒ, if) + Condition, 就 (jiù, then) + Result. 如果 can be placed before or after the subject. 就 always comes before the verb in the result clause.
Why This Matters
The structure maps fairly well to English 'if...then', making it accessible for beginners. The key difference is 就 (then), which is used much more frequently in Chinese than 'then' in English. In English, you often drop 'then': 'If it rains, I'll stay home.' In Chinese, 就 is almost always present and feels unnatural when dropped.
Examples
• 如果明天下雨，我就不去了。(Rúguǒ míngtiān xià yǔ, wǒ jiù bú qù le.) — "If it rains tomorrow, I won't go." [就 before 不去 in the result clause] • 如果你有时间，就来我家。(Rúguǒ nǐ yǒu shíjiān, jiù lái wǒ jiā.) — "If you have time, (then) come to my place." [就 makes the connection explicit] • 如果你喜欢，就买吧。(Rúguǒ nǐ xǐhuan, jiù mǎi ba.) — "If you like it, (then) buy it." [Casual advice with 吧 softener]
Common Mistakes
❌ 如果下雨，我不去。(dropping 就) ✅ 如果下雨，我就不去了。 → While understandable without 就, the sentence sounds incomplete to native ears. 就 is the natural bridge between condition and result. ❌ 如果我有钱，我就会买了。(adding both 会 and 了) ✅ 如果我有钱，我就买。OR 如果我有钱，我就会买。 → 就 already implies 'then/would'. Adding both 会 (will) and 了 (completed) creates redundancy. Keep it simple.
Quick Tip
如果 starts the condition, 就 starts the result. They're a team like 虽然...但是. Don't separate them.
如果 starts the condition, 就 starts the result. They're a team like 虽然...但是. Don't separate them.
Examples
Common Mistakes
Incorrect: 如果下雨，我不去。(dropping 就) → Correct: 如果下雨，我就不去了。. While understandable without 就, the sentence sounds incomplete to native ears. 就 is the natural bridge between condition and result.
Incorrect: 如果我有钱，我就会买了。(adding both 会 and 了) → Correct: 如果我有钱，我就买。OR 如果我有钱，我就会买。. 就 already implies 'then/would'. Adding both 会 (will) and 了 (completed) creates redundancy. Keep it simple.
Quiz
Where does 就 go in the sentence?