如果/要是 + Condition, (那么) 就 + Result
如果/要是...就... (rúguǒ/yàoshi...jiù...) — 'if...then...'
如果 (rúguǒ) and 要是 (yàoshi) both mean 'if' and are largely interchangeable, with 就 in the second clause meaning 'then': 如果明天下雨，我们就不去了 (if it rains tomorrow, then we won't go). 要是 is more common in casual spoken Chinese, while 如果 works in both speech and writing and pairs more naturally with a formal 那么 (then) before 就 in longer sentences. Either word can be dropped and the conditional meaning still comes through from context and 就 alone, especially in quick spoken exchanges: 你不说，我就不知道 (if you don't say, [then] I won't know). The deciding question: am I stating a hypothetical condition and its consequence — pick either 如果 or 要是 for the 'if' clause (要是 leaning casual), and don't forget 就 to introduce the 'then' result, since 就 is what actually signals the consequence.
Examples
- 如果明天下雨，我们就不去爬山了。rú guǒ míng tiān xià yǔ, wǒ men jiù bú qù pá shān le
If it rains tomorrow, we won't go hiking.
- 要是你有时间，就来我家玩儿吧。yào shi nǐ yǒu shí jiān, jiù lái wǒ jiā wánr ba
If you have time, come over to my place.
- 如果这个方法不行，那么我们就得换一个办法了。rú guǒ zhè ge fāng fǎ bù xíng, nà me wǒ men jiù děi huàn yí gè bàn fǎ le
If this method doesn't work, then we'll have to try a different approach.
Common mistake
✗ Wrong: 如果明天下雨，我们不去爬山了。
✓ Right: 如果明天下雨，我们就不去爬山了。
如果 sets up the condition, but 就 is what actually signals the consequence in the second clause — leaving it out makes the two clauses feel disconnected rather than if-then.
Practice this pattern
Fill in the missing character:
＿果明天下雨，我们就不去爬山了。
If it rains tomorrow, we won't go hiking.