如果……
Reach for this when you want to set up a hypothetical condition — 'if X, then Y.' Stick 如果 at the front of the condition clause, then state the result. Chinese often pairs it with 就 in the second clause, especially in writing, but in spoken Chinese the 就 frequently drops. Works for real possibilities, future plans, and pure speculation alike. It is the everyday 'if' word.
Structure
如果 [CONDITION]，(就) [RESULT]
rúguǒ... (jiù)...
How to Think About It
如果 marks the clause as hypothetical from the very first word, so the listener already knows 'this isn't fact, it's a possibility' before the rest arrives. English has to wait until 'if' shows up — sometimes mid-sentence. In Chinese, the 'if' always comes first. That front-loading is why dropping 就 still works: the hypothetical frame is already set.
Examples
如果你有时间，就来我家。
Rúguǒ nǐ yǒu shíjiān, jiù lái wǒ jiā.
If you have time, come over to my place.
如果明天下雨，我们就不去。
Rúguǒ míngtiān xiàyǔ, wǒmen jiù bú qù.
If it rains tomorrow, we won't go.
如果你想学好中文，每天都要练习。
Rúguǒ nǐ xiǎng xuéhǎo Zhōngwén, měitiān dōu yào liànxí.
If you want to learn Chinese well, you have to practice every day.
Common Mistake
Learners put 如果 in the middle of the sentence after the result, mimicking English word order ('I'll go if it doesn't rain'). In Chinese, the condition clause comes first.
我会去如果不下雨。
如果不下雨，我就会去。
Don't Confuse With
要是……就……
Same meaning, more colloquial. Swap in 要是 when chatting with friends; 如果 is neutral and works everywhere.
如果……的话
Same starter, softer ending. Add 的话 at the end of the condition for a more tentative feel ('if it happens to...').
因为……所以……
因为 introduces a real reason that already happened. 如果 introduces a hypothetical that may not happen. Don't mix them.
Practice
___ 你饿了，就吃饭。
Show answer
如果
如果他来，我 ___ 走。
Show answer
就
Arrange: 我 / 如果 / 就 / 明天 / 有空 / 去看你
Show answer
如果我明天有空，就去看你。
If you're tired, then go to sleep.
Show answer
如果你累了，就去睡觉。
Write a sentence about your plan for the weekend using 如果.
Show answer
如果周末天气好，我就去爬山。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 5 Fluentide episodes: