How to use 要是…就
要是 + condition，subject + 就 + consequence
要是 introduces a condition in everyday spoken Chinese. The next clause explains the consequence, response, or decision that follows if the condition applies. It can refer to a future possibility or an imagined situation, with context supplying the time reference. Its conversational tone makes it common in discussions of plans, requests, worries, and practical choices.
就 often appears before the main predicate in the result clause. A subject can precede 要是 or appear inside its clause as the sentence requires. The negative condition 要不是 commonly introduces a counterfactual explanation, meaning without that fact or help the result would have been different. Interpret the whole conditional relationship rather than translating each word separately.
Examples with pinyin and English
你要是真想我， 就给我打电话。
If you do miss me, then give me a call.
要是我妈知道这件事，我就死定了!
If my mother knew about this, I would be so dead!
要是老板不同意，我们就不能跟客户签合同。
If the boss doesn't agree, then we can't sign the contract with the client.
你要再说，我真生气了。
If you keep talking that way, I'm really gonna get angry.
What to remember
- Use 要是 naturally in everyday conditions.
- Keep 就 with the conditional result.
- Recognize the counterfactual role of 要不是.
Practise the pattern
Practise this topic with the app’s grammar exercises. Your answers and review dates are saved separately from vocabulary practice.
Practise this grammar topic ↗Look up the grammar words
Source and editorial notes
Explanation rewritten for Laowai. Examples are adapted from the Laowai English grammar curriculum, with editorial corrections where needed. The original curriculum credits AllSet Learning’s Chinese Grammar Wiki as used with permission. Read the retained source credits.
Difficulty labels describe the level of the explanation; they are not official HSK placement. Send a correction with this page’s URL.