Si Clauses
Reach for this when you want to set up a condition and its result — 'if X, then Y.' In Chinese, the 'if' clause uses 如果 (or the more colloquial 要是), and the result clause typically uses 就 to close the loop. Verbs don't change form for tense the way they do in English — Chinese leans on time words and context. Everyday register; used constantly in plans, advice, and hypothetical talk. Common contexts: weekend plans, decision-making, warnings.
Structure
如果/要是 + Condition clause, Subject + 就 + Result clause
rú guǒ... jiù... / yào shi... jiù...
How to Think About It
Chinese 'if/then' doesn't change verb forms — there's no past conditional or future tense to worry about. You just mark the condition with 如果 (formal) or 要是 (casual) and the result with 就. The hard part for English speakers isn't building the sentence; it's resisting the urge to encode tense in the verbs. If something is hypothetical, the conditional markers do the work — leave the verbs as they are.
Examples
如果明天下雨，我们就不去公园了。
Rúguǒ míngtiān xià yǔ, wǒmen jiù bù qù gōngyuán le.
If it rains tomorrow, we won't go to the park.
要是你饿了，就吃点东西。
Yàoshi nǐ è le, jiù chī diǎn dōngxi.
If you're hungry, just eat something.
如果你有时间，就来我家玩。
Rúguǒ nǐ yǒu shíjiān, jiù lái wǒ jiā wán.
If you have time, come over to my place.
如果他不同意，我们就再想办法。
Rúguǒ tā bù tóngyì, wǒmen jiù zài xiǎng bànfǎ.
If he doesn't agree, we'll come up with another plan.
Common Mistake
Learners drop 就 in the result clause because English 'then' is often unspoken ('if it rains, I'll stay home' — no 'then'). Chinese usually wants 就 to anchor the consequence. Without it, the two clauses feel disconnected, especially in speech.
如果下雨，我不去了。
如果下雨，我就不去了。
Don't Confuse With
要是...就...
Colloquial cousin of 如果...就.... Same meaning, casual register — what you'd hear in conversation. Use 如果 in writing and formal speech; 要是 with friends.
只要...就...
'As long as X, then Y' — X is a sufficient condition the speaker assumes will be met. 如果...就... leaves more open whether X will happen.
如果...的话
Adds 的话 at the end of the condition clause for a softer, more conversational feel — like English 'if you happen to / if it's the case that.' Optional extension of the basic pattern.
Practice
Fill in: ___ 你累了， ___ 早点睡觉吧。
Show answer
如果...就
Translate to Chinese: If I have money, I'll buy that phone.
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如果我有钱，就买那个手机。
Arrange: 如果 / 就 / 帮 / 你 / 我 / 我 / 需要
Show answer
如果你需要，我就帮你。
Use 如果...就... to describe what you'll do on your next free day.
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如果明天不上班，我就去爬山。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode:
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear Si Clauses in real Chinese, not in a textbook.
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