如果 + clause, ... + 就 ...
Reach for this whenever you want to say 'if X, then Y' — the standard conditional in Chinese. 如果 sets up the hypothetical; 就 marks the consequence in the second clause. It covers everything from polite suggestions ('if you have time, then come over') to warnings ('if you touch it, you'll get sick') to dreaming ('if I had money, I would...'). The pair is locked: drop 就 and the sentence often feels incomplete.
Structure
如果 [CONDITION], [SUBJECT] 就 [RESULT]
rúguǒ ..., ... jiù ...
How to Think About It
Chinese conditionals link with TWO words, not one. 如果 throws the 'if' switch; 就 throws the 'then' switch — and natives expect both. 就 sits AFTER the subject of the result clause, not at the start: '如果下雨, 我就不去' (not '如果下雨, 就我不去'). That subject-then-就 placement is the part learners forget. The whole 如果...就... pair forms a single grammatical unit in the speaker's head.
Examples
如果下雨, 我们就不去公园。
Rúguǒ xiàyǔ, wǒmen jiù bú qù gōngyuán.
If it rains, we won't go to the park.
如果你不小心碰到了, 就会得病。
Rúguǒ nǐ bù xiǎoxīn pèngdào le, jiù huì débìng.
If you accidentally touch it, you'll get sick.
如果有时间, 我就给你打电话。
Rúguǒ yǒu shíjiān, wǒ jiù gěi nǐ dǎ diànhuà.
If I have time, I'll give you a call.
Common Mistake
Learners often put 就 before the subject by analogy with English 'then I will go.' In Chinese, 就 comes AFTER the subject and right before the verb. Putting 就 first makes the sentence sound off-balance.
如果你有时间, 就你来我家。
如果你有时间, 你就来我家。
Don't Confuse With
要是...就...
Almost identical meaning, more colloquial. 要是 is the spoken-Chinese cousin of 如果 — swap them freely in casual conversation. Stick with 如果 in writing.
的话
Tag form: '...的话, 就...' Often combined with 如果 ('如果...的话, 就...') for an even softer hypothetical. Use 的话 alone when the 如果 is implied from context.
只要...就...
'As long as X, then Y.' 只要 is conditional with a sufficiency flavor — 'all you need is X.' 如果 is neutral hypothetical; 只要 implies the condition is enough.
Practice
___你累了, 你就休息一下。
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如果
如果他来, 我们___一起吃饭。
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就
Put in order: [如果 / 我 / 明天 / 就 / 去 / 不下雨 / 跑步]
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如果明天不下雨, 我就去跑步。
Translate to Chinese: 'If you're hungry, eat something.'
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如果你饿了, 就吃点东西。
Write one 如果...就... sentence about your weekend plan.
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Example: 如果周末天气好, 我就去爬山。 (If the weather's good this weekend, I'll go hiking.)
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode: