如果...那么...
Reach for this when you want to spell out a hypothetical and its consequence clearly — 'if X, then Y.' 如果 sets the condition; 那么 introduces the conclusion that follows. The 那么 version is more deliberate and analytical than the looser 如果...就..., which makes it the go-to in essays, op-eds, policy analysis, and any sentence where the consequence deserves emphasis: 'if the strategy works, then the regime falls.'
Structure
如果 [HYPOTHETICAL] 那么 [CONSEQUENCE]
rúguǒ... nàme...
How to Think About It
那么 is heavier than 就. It signals 'pay attention to what follows — this is the logical payoff.' Use 那么 when the consequence is non-obvious, weighty, or extended over multiple clauses; use 就 when the result is short and immediate. Dropping 那么 is fine in casual speech, but in analytical prose it lands the conclusion harder.
Examples
如果明天下雨, 那么我们就不去爬山了。
Rúguǒ míngtiān xià yǔ, nàme wǒmen jiù bú qù páshān le.
If it rains tomorrow, then we won't go hiking.
如果这个策略奏效, 那么局势会发生根本性的变化。
Rúguǒ zhège cèlüè zòuxiào, nàme júshì huì fāshēng gēnběnxìng de biànhuà.
If this strategy works, then the situation will undergo a fundamental change.
如果你不同意, 那么我们再讨论。
Rúguǒ nǐ bù tóngyì, nàme wǒmen zài tǎolùn.
If you don't agree, then we'll discuss it again.
Common Mistake
Learners use 然后 ('and then') where 那么 ('in that case, then') is needed. 然后 sequences events in time; 那么 draws a logical conclusion from a hypothetical. Mixing them up makes a conditional sound like a timeline.
如果伊朗选择抵抗, 然后冲突会扩大。
如果伊朗选择抵抗, 那么冲突会扩大。
Don't Confuse With
如果...就...
Same logic, lighter touch. 就 works for everyday conditionals; 那么 is preferred when the consequence is analytical or weighty.
假如...那么...
Same structure with a more hypothetical, even unreal flavor. 假如 leans 'suppose that...'; 如果 is more neutral.
要是...的话
Colloquial spoken conditional. Don't use it in formal writing where 如果...那么... fits.
Practice
___ 他不来, 那么会议会取消。
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如果
如果策略奏效, ___ 局势会改变。
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那么
Arrange: [那么 / 如果 / 扩大 / 冲突 / 伊朗 / 抵抗 / 选择 / 会]
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如果伊朗选择抵抗, 那么冲突会扩大。
Translate to Chinese: 'If the company fails, then thousands of workers will lose their jobs.'
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如果公司失败, 那么成千上万的工人会失去工作。
Write one sentence using 如果...那么... about a significant decision you might face.
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Example answer: 如果我接受这份工作, 那么我就要搬到上海。 (If I accept this job, then I'll have to move to Shanghai.)
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode: