EXPRESSING CONDITIONS

41

Expressing conditions

41.1‘If . . . then’ conditional sentences

Mandarin uses the following words to express ‘if’ in conditional sentences.

yàoshi

rúgun

jikrú

jiáshm

tkngruò

tángshm

yàoshi and rúgun are commonly used in formal and informal speech or writing.

jikrú is used in more formal speech or writing.

jiáshm, tkngruò, and tángshm are most commonly used in formal, written Chinese.

The ‘if’ word is placed before or after the subject in the first clause of a sentence.

Mandarin does not have a word that specifically corresponds to ‘then’ in conditional sentences. Instead, the adverb jiù typically occurs in the second clause, immediately before the [prepositional phrase +] verb phrase.

Í15.2.4

NOTE biàn or / zé are sometimes used instead of jiù before the [prepositional phrase +] verb phrase of the second clause.

Here are examples of conditional sentences.

yàoshi

!"#$%#&!'" ()*!"#$%#&!'" ()*

Yàoshi nm bù gli tp qián, tp jiù bù huì gli nm zuò shì.

If you don’t pay him he won’t work for you.

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. . .‘If then’ conditional sentences

41.1

rúguN

!"# $%&'()*+,*-!"# $%&'()*+,*-

Rúgun nm shì wn, nm yl bù huì tóngyì tp de kànfa de.

If you were I, you wouldn’t agree with his viewpoint either.

jiKrú

!"#$%&'()*+,-./0123!"#$%&'()*+,-./0123

Zhè pipn wénzhpng xil de bù cuò, jikrú zài dukn yrdikr nà jiù gèng hko le.

This essay is very good; if it were a little shorter it would be even better.

jiáshM

!"#$%&'()*%+,-./0123456789!"#$%&'()*%+,-./0123456789

Jiáshm rénrén dsu qí zìxíngchq huò zuò gsnggòng qìchq, huánjìng wtrkn de wèntí jiù róngyì jiljué le.

If everyone rode a bicycle or took the bus, the pollution problem would be easy to solve.

!"#$ %&'()*+,-!"#$ %&'()*+,-

Jiáshm wn shì lkoshr, wn mlitipn dsu gli xuéshqng kko shì.

If I were a teacher, I would give students a test every day.

/ tKngruò

!"#$%&'()*+,-./01!"#$%&'()*+,-./01

Tkngruò xuéshqng dsu yr kàn jiù dnng, nà lkoshr hái ynu shénme yòng ne?

If students understood as soon as they looked at something, then what use would there be for teachers?

tángshM

!"#$%&'()*+,-.!"#$%&'()*+,-.

Tángshm fàng jik bù néng huí jip, qmng jí shí xil xìn gào zhr.

If you have a vacation and cannot return home, please write me right away to let me know.

/ zé

!"#$%&'()*+,-!"#$%&'()*+,-

Dàjip gòngtóng nolì zé yrdìng néng bk shìqíng zuòhko.

(If ) everyone works hard together, we certainly can take care of this matter.

!"#$%&!"#$%&

Jipnchí bù xiè zé huì chénggsng.

(If )(we) persist (we) can definitely succeed.

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EXPRESSING CONDITIONS

41.2

‘if . . . then’ sentences with . . . / de huà

The ‘if’ clause may end with / de huà. Here are examples with yàoshi . . .

/ de huà and rúgun . . . / de huà.

!"#$%&'()*+,-./!"#$%&'()*+,-./

Yàoshi nm yuànyì de huà, wnmen kéym jrntipn qù shìchkng.

If you are interested, we can go to the market today.

!"#$%&'()*+,-./01!"#$%&'()*+,-./01

Yàoshi fpngbiàn de huà, jiù qmng nm gli wn mki yr fèn rénmín rìbào.

If it is convenient, could you buy me a copy of today’s People’s Daily.

!"#$%&'(%! )*+&,!"#$%&'(%! )*+&,

Rúgun bù shì nm bpngzhù tp de huà, tp shì bù huì chénggsng de.

If you hadn’t helped him, he wouldn’t have succeeded.

41.2‘even if’

jiùshì situation, (subject) / yl [prepositional phrase +] verb phrase

jiùshì situation, (subject) / hái [prepositional phrase + ] verb phrase

Even if (situation), (subject) still ([prepositional phrase +] verb phrase)

!"#$!%

Jiùshì nm qù wn yl bù qù.

Even if you go I still won’t go.

!"#$%&'()*+,-%!"#$%&'()*+,-%

Nà bln zìdikn tèbié hko. Jiùshì hln guì wn hái yào mki.

That dictionary is particularly good. Even if it is expensive I still want to buy it.

!"# $% !!"# $% !

Wn ài tp. Jiùshì tp bù ài wn wn hái ài tp.

I love her. Even if she doesn’t love me, I still love her.

41.3‘as long as’

Use zhmyào to express this meaning:

!"#$%&'( !")*+,-!"#$%&'( !")*+,-

Zhmyào wnmen yrqm nolì hézuò, wnmen yrdìng huì chénggsng.

As long as we work hard together, we will definitely succeed.

41.4‘only if’, ‘unless’

Use chúfqi to express this meaning.

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‘otherwise’

41.5

!"#$%&'() *+,-./01234!"#$%&'() *+,-./01234

Chúfqi nm shì bkiwàn fùwqng, yàobùrán nm zuì hko bié qù kàn nàbian de fángzi.

Unless you are a millionaire, you’d best not go look at the houses over there.

!"#$%&'()*+,-$./01!"#$%&'()*+,-$./01

Chúfqi dus xit jm gè shumkù, fnuzé wúfk jiljué ymnshum de wèntí.

Unless we build more reservoirs, there is no way to solve the drinking water problem.

41.5‘otherwise’

Use the following words to express this meaning. Notice that they occur before the subject of the second clause or sentence.

yàoburán ‘otherwise’

!"#$%&'()$*+,-!"#$%&'()$*+,-

Kuài yrdikn znu ba, yàobùrán shàng kè yòu yào chídào le.

Hurry up, otherwise we will be late for class.

!"#$%&' &(&)*+,!"#$%&' &(&)*+,

Wn de qìchq huài le, yàobùrán wn bù huì bù lái shàng bpn.

My car is broken, otherwise I wouldn’t miss work.

bùrán ‘otherwise’

! "#$%&'()* )+ ,-./0! "#$%&'()* )+ ,-./0

Tp ràng wn gqn tp yrqm qù mki dsngxr, bùrán tp bù bpng wn liànxí Zhsngwén.

He makes me go with him to buy things (to go shopping with him). Otherwise, he won’t help me study Chinese.

!"#$%&'()*+,-!"#$%&'()*+,-

Xìngkur wn de shqntm hko, bùrán yrdìng huì shqng bìng.

It is a good thing I am healthy. Otherwise I would get sick.

fNuzé ‘otherwise’

!"#$%&'( )*+,-#.!"#$%&'( )*+,-#.

Xìngkur wn dus dài le dikn qián, fnuzé wnmen jiù huí bù qù le.

Luckily I brought a little extra money with me. Otherwise we wouldn’t be able to get back.

!"#$%&'()*+,'-!"#$%&'()*+,'-

Yào znu rén xíng héng dào, fnuzé zhuàngsm le yl shì bái zhuàng.

You should walk in the crosswalk. Otherwise, if you get killed it’s your fault. (lit. ‘Otherwise, if you get killed (by being hit) it would have been avoidable.’)

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