One of the benefits of Chinese is that the grammar is often very logical and concise. In this article, we look at the "如果...,就..." (rúguǒ..., jiù...) structure. We will also look at uses "的话" (dehuà).

Simple Structure with just 如果
"如果..., 就..." is an often-used pattern that is utilized in the same way that "If..., then..." is in English.

Examples with just 如果

Wǒ rú ɡuǒ zài běi jīnɡ zhǎo bú dào ɡōnɡ zuò , jiù huì huí kūn mínɡ.
我 如果 在 北京 找不到 工作，就 会 回 昆明。
If I can't find a job in Beijing, I'm going to go back to Kunming.

Fuller Structure with 的话
Although 如果 can be used to mean "if" all by itself, it's often used together with the phrase 的话 to create the "if" sandwich pattern.
Here's the slightly tricky thing: while you can use 如果 without 的话, it's also possible to drop the 如果 and just use the 的话 instead to mean "if." It's even possible to use neither, and let the "if" be completely implied.

Examples with 的话

Rú ɡuǒ nǐ qù de huà, bānɡ wǒ ɡēn tā wèn hǎo.
如果 你 去 的话，帮 我 跟 她 问 好。
(Using both 如果 and 的话) If you go, tell her I say hello.
If I can't find a job in Beijing, I'm going to go back to Kunming.