The Difference between 如果 and 要是 ("If" in Chinese) | Learn Chinese Now

[@KarMaThr]

actually never heard 如果。。的话 but just 要是。。的话！and I've been learning chinese for 6 years

[@travelwell6049]

This is great. Being mainly self-taught, I've never really worked out how to formulate an IF statement and know whether it was correct or not. 😊

[@mrtsiqsin2290]

For Cantonese speakers, 如果 is more informal and colloquial while 要是 is very formal and only used in written form.

[@leimar7711]

Great video Ben, you present complex coherences in such an easy way everybody can understand.

[@choiwaynekiet]

I grew up using 如果，要是 feels awkward to me. This may have been because my mother tongue is Cantonese and I have never or rarely seen someone use 要是

[@aliskirenpril]

people use "要是“ a lot, at least in the mainland. you haven't heard enough

[@Ava-cy6qw]

GREAT JOB explaining. Thank you.

[@zijing9548]

Thanks for your useful teaching 😊👍

[@Jay-kb5tm]

Have you made a video explaining the difference between 会 and 可以？

[@ohmyflippiningod]

I don't think he has, but 会 basically means like "will" like "I will go to the store" or "我会去商店“. And 可以 means "can", but not like have an ability to do something, because the ability is more like 能，however 可以 is like, you can understand or can do something, like if someone asked "can you go to the store?" or "你可以去商店吗？” or "你可以不可以去商店？”, and you can reply “可以”. Anyways, thats my understanding. Hope that helps!

[@sthefannygutierrezenciso7146]

thanks, you are a good teacher.

[@699Akmal]

Very good initiative, impressive technique to learn Chinese.

[@kevinthehouse2445]

awesome videos lately keep it up ben! 👌

[@hvadhvem6138]

"Gotta apologise for my hair" - Sir it's never been so cool

[@osee7903]

😂😂

[@tatseonglee2001]

..

[@AdipescentCat]

Ke shi versus dan shi

[@GarethTrew]

I really enjoyed this video, clear explanation and understandable to all. Keep up the good work! 加油！

[@user-cz8gi2om3n]

Thank you! How about different ways to speak about future events? I still don't understand the difference between the uses of 將，要，and 會。

[@JJC_T]

C Bil "要" means "want to" or “be about to”; "將要" means "be about to"; "將" means "be about to" or "will" (this is used exclusively in formal writing when you indicate the latter meaning) and is sometimes interchangeable with "把"; 會 can mean either "can" or "will" depending on the context

[@Apollys]

How could 将 and 把 be interchangeable? Their meanings are nothing alike!

[@JJC_T]

Apollys As I said, they are sometimes interchangeable, but 將is used more in formal writing. “我將門關上了”，“我把門關上了”，“將下列句子翻譯成英文”，“把下列句子翻譯成英文”，in the two examples above, there is no difference in their meanings.

[@solangedacosta1624]

Thank you ! For this lesson 👏🏿🥰

[@sggod89]

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome explanation. I have the same question about "I think"; 我想 我觉得 我认为

[@Apollys]

First just means thinking in general. The second two refer to personal beliefs or opinions.

[@ambere3192]

sggod89 你这样说有点语病了哦～

[@dsyc503]

我想means I want，我觉得and我认为means I think.

[@spinal7000]

3:39 - ninja blending in...

[@pablononescobar]

Who was that at 3:40?

[@jaimeburgos411]

How to say "as soon as" and how to use it? Also, how do you make a statement in the future tense?

[@TheYungAZ1]

Will you do a video about the word "when" and the different characters and when to use them? The difference between 当 , 什么时候 , ...的时候 , etc. Thank you for your consideration! I really enjoy these videos!!

[@JJC_T]

Well I think "如果…的話" should also be categorized into "informal Chinese", coz in Chinese writing "的話" is really redundant and suggested to be omitted if you've already used "如果" at the beginning of the sentence. For instance, "如果if全球暖化global warming的問題problem日益嚴重becomes severe，生態環境ecological environment將徹底totally改變change." Other formal terms that indicate the meaning "如果" include "倘若provided that", "假使assuming that", "若"...etc. But "如果" without "的話" is still the most commonly used in writing

[@neildolinger6820]

I'd like to know if there is a difference between 大概 ("dagai") and 也许 ("yexu"). I have always used the first to mean "probably" and the second to mean "maybe", but sometimes get the sense that the distinction is not as strong in Chinese.

[@chitji]

I myself just always say "可能“. ;) From what I now can remember and think of is that people "always" (don't quote me on that) use “大概” for time. For example. ”他大概七点钟会回来。“ "He will probably be back at seven o' clock." But you're probably right. 也许 sounds to me less likely than 大概 and 或许 sounds even less likely than 也许 to me.

[@jackytang2824]

Neil Dolinger 大概 means approximately if I was not mistaken

[@chitji]

Jacky Tang They can mean both.

[@neildolinger6820]

Thanks, +The Last Panda and +Jacky Tang! If anyone else has any ideas about the differences between 大概 and 也许, I'd love to hear from you.

[@ShadowRunner2730]

Ben, I am here to inform you about something though unsure if you can do anything about it but italki is available on Google Play for Chinese as an App. Though it says Chinese but actually it's Turkish and not Chinese. Hopefully someone updates it. Thanks.

[@rh230]

I've heard that there are a million ways to say "Hotel" in Chinese. Can you go over which ones to use and when? Thanks very much for the videos!

[@shpunge]

The reality is you can omit both! 下雨，我們就不去了。It's still an "if...then" structure simply because of the word 就. 他再不來，我們就先走了。

[@QuizmasterLaw]

ru guo .. de hua = if ... then yao shi = if (no then) Both constructions exist in English (ask a computer programmer..:)

[@TheRosa63]

I have been reading writting and listening to vidoes etc, I have a good vocabulary and such but having a hard time forming sentences in speaking, I have no one who speaks chinese to use as a sound board, I listen to audio of chinese alot to try and pronounce the words right but I have no way to know for sure how I am sounding, I was thinking of recording it and playing it back to see, I truly hate to hear myself, it is so unplesant to me, any suggestions how forming sentences in my head for speaking and if I were to ever get to speak to someone who speaks chinese would they be upset if I form the sentence strutures wrong?

[@AlbertoGonzalez78]

Very interesting! Ben, could you please explain the difference between 只要。。。就. And 只有。。。才? Thanks a lot and congratulations on your videos, they're really helpful for us learners.

[@JJC_T]

Alberto Gonzalez "只要"means "as long as", while "只有"means "only if". The following words "就" and "才" are used in the respective main clauses.

[@AlbertoGonzalez78]

蔡仁傑 多谢！Ben, would you still consider the possibility of making a video on this topic? I think many Chinese learners would really appreciate it. Thanx.

[@ambere3192]

Alberto Gonzalez 找个中国人教你，学到会更快的。

[@anthonynguyen730]

Do a video on "but" dan shi and ke shi.

[@LearnUkrainianWithRoman]

多谢你的解释！

[@puiyuching7346]

goodjob

[@adamclark1972uk]

Ben is better at teaching Chinese than he is at MMA.

[@Eagline]

Omg I will improve my English with these videos

[@DanielFrostable]

you should do a video on hang 行 and xing 行。 why are they the same character? are there any other characters that have 2 separate meanings? I think this would be a good video. Thank you for reading! 很多谢

[@鬼蟹-b8z]

thousands of characters have multiple meanings the character "著" even has 5 different pronunciations zhe zhù zhuó zháo zhāo

[@DanielFrostable]

Perhaps a good question to answer would be why that is the case

[@duckymomo7935]

chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/1592/pronunciation-of-%E7%9D%80-in-%E6%80%8E%E4%B9%88%E7%9D%80 chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/6747/%E5%9C%B0-pronunciation-variation?rq=1

[@MrMelunia]

It would be sooo awesome if you could prepare videos with HSK 4 or 5 vocabulary :)

[@jacobaarongarner]

3:38 you were so close!!!😂😂😂

[@alexanderadamas]

You should do more of these "improvised" videos. Much more enjoyable!

[@paul820121]

we also use 若 to replace 如果 in such situations, and I think the former is more formaliy than the second one

[@JordanPCK]

Thanks for the useful video, it is much appreciated. How about a video on the characters 不仅 and 不但? As I am currently studying HSK 4 and wondering what the differences are. All the best.

[@savfromsopn]

This is super helpful! Thanks! :D Also, I've been wondering about how to properly use 让/讓. I think I ended up with a very mixed up understanding when I first learned it, and now I realize I definitely used it incorrectly. (So I just don't use it anymore.)

[@jayramdahal3799]

thank you xiexie

[@fansizhe9997]

Thank you….Thank you!!!🙏🙏🙏😍😍😍👍👍👍

[@JayFolipurba]

我去大學，學習漢語。 And it's going along nicely, I know about 160 characters. Only unfortunate thing is, they're all simplified. I guess it's a bit quicker to write and there are a bit less strokes to memorise but some are just ugly. On the other hand I can really easily memorise the ones with more strokes like 等 and 橘子 so that's fun.

[@lingling2823]

Learning traditional Chinese is more fun but it’s less useful imo 😂

[@嵐影湖光-r9z]

哈嘍!謝謝您的視頻!我有一個問題: 您可以解釋 "就"的意思嗎? (Could you explaining the meaning of 就 ?...And possibly correct any errors, if any, please~ :')

[@嵐影湖光-r9z]

Wait, I found it! lol Nevermind

[@sunstar2599]

Thanks

[@LadyOboro]

What about 假如？

[@LadyOboro]

出成 明白了！ 谢谢你了！

[@刘生-o9b]

平时生活中真的区分不出来，我现在也糊涂了。It is difficult to distinguish，and I'm confused now.

[@pinklady051]

Is 「要是」a structure that's more commonly used in mainland China? I have rarely heard it.. except maybe when expressing a hypothetically different course of action. example: 要是妳早告訴我的話，我就帶妳去！Although, on second thought, even in this case, I think 如果 comes more naturally. (to me at least..). And what about 萬一 ？

[@productFocusedDev]

Do 当 please!

[@LSC124377322]

FreeKnowledge98 当山峰没有棱角的时候 当河水不再流 当时间停住日夜不分 当天地万物化为虚有 我还是不能和你分手 不能和你分手 你的温柔是我今生最大的守候 当太阳不再上升的时候 当地球不再转动 当春夏秋冬不再变换 当花草树木全部凋残 我还是不能和你分散 不能和你分散 你的笑容是我今生最大的眷恋

[@darian5428]

若是 means if too?

[@Apollys]

Yay, back to the couch! :):)

[@潘越-e7k]

Actually，this two can be mixed，they almost the same.

[@КонстантинЛактионов-щ1ю]

Jim Carry?

[@larryxue8517]

如果 is just common. 倘若，假设，如若 those are the really formal ones. Also, 要是 can be paired with 的话。

[@insightcatalyst2324]

谢谢。我刚才开始了学中文。

[@你的父亲-y3s]

不过你的中文已经相当厉害了

[@bcstephe]

Cool, I somehow already knew all this intuitively from speaking patterns.

[@whitedeath9]

If possible could you do a video on 这么 and 那么？ I hear these a lot in dramas. 谢谢

[@duckymomo7935]

one is this and the other is that, nothing too complicated

[@whitedeath9]

Mi Les so is there any difference between those and using 这个，那个？

[@duckymomo7935]

***** first one is this second one is that

[@whitedeath9]

Mi Les No I mean is there any difference between using 这么 and 这个？Same for 那么 and 那个

[@duckymomo7935]

***** yes, noun + 这个 + category (means noun, this + category, for emphasis) 那个 for that ex: 你 *这个* 坏蛋. 就 没 做 过 一 件 好 事。 = You bad person(You (are) this bad person). You haven't done a single thing. 这么/那么 + adj (means so + adj) ex: 你 说得 *这么* 快 = you speak so fast 明天那么好 = tomorrow is so good

[@FreelanceTranslatorTips]

This will probably be corrected soon, but *Difference and *Chinese

[@utube2605]

Freelance Translator Tips Ben's Chinese is probably better than his English. I'm sure it's an honest mistake, but still.

[@learnchinesenow]

yes, that's right, we often have a few English typos, because we spend a lot of time really double checking the Chinese is correct, the English often gets overlooked. People always point it out though, like you. Thanks.

[@小鬼老]

Ben speaks better Mandarin than most Chinese, IMO.

[@kennethhaig8362]

Yes, he does. Thanks Ben

[@kjm015]

What are the differences between “怎么” and "如何"？ By the way, you should also include a Simplified Characters section!

[@chitji]

如何 is formal and 怎么 informal from what I believe.

[@chitji]

Rijkaard Ignorant little kid.

[@learnchinesenow]

yes that is right

[@Anon41682]

xD Ikr!! Jkjk

[@seriekekomo]

请问 make a video about "的事“！

[@LSC124377322]

seriekekomo I am Chinese and I don't think 的事 is an expression in Chinese.

[@seriekekomo]

"的事" Like in "我们说很多的事" 对不对？

[@patrickrobertson3550]

you mean “我门出门的时候...?" or “我门出门时..."?

[@seriekekomo]

Patrick Robertson For example: "谢谢你让我记住这件事"

[@serenipiditea]

I am so proud that i understood that, coming from a singaporean student with crummy chinese :3 BTW, Isn't there another way to express if, like 倘若? :/

[@tim_despair]

make a video on 就 JIU, because they use it all the time and I don't get what it means in every single case

[@ru2285]

谢谢。我想知道more about how to politely ask Chinese people to stop staring at me, like when I'm on the bus, at the market etc

[@JoeSmith-xk4ke]

大家别看了，我会害羞的

[@brod2man]

I went to a uni in Yunnan and there was one professor who would constantly end every sentence with 的话. I think it was just a dialect thing, or maybe she was just endlessly giving a list of instructions, but it became infuriating, I just didn't want to hear those two words ever again lol

[@gstefanl4752]

I don't agree with the clarification as a native speaker. 的話 is what makes it informal 如果 itself has a neutral meaning, which means you can use it in both formal and informal situations without sounding strange, and actually it's the most commonly used phrases among all the conditional conjunctions, I would say. 要是 is informal, and used to express if your expectations, either you wish it to happen or not to happen, had come true, what it would happen as the result or consequences. Therefore, although you can always replace 要是 with 如果, 要是 expresses a stronger emotion, such as enviness, regret, threatening... etc. That's my opinion

[@truezyf]

要是 is used in negative/bad situation more.

[@owl725]

the most confusing one is 倒 , like how to use it !?

[@d.n.ctalop5560]

如果你是我的知己的话，我爱你了

[@olafpayne]

3:39 I saw the Loch Ness Monster

[@吳聲政-h5c]

So it's mean "de hua" there's no meaning, is that?

[@الريادهللتطوير]

我觉得你的课很意思

[@keqing5985]

如果吃辣的话，他就会拉肚子.... 1:14

[@keqing5985]

not 如果吃辣的话，他会拉肚子.. plus a 就 is better

[@cwk18]

的话 is optional in chineses, the sentence is still correct without the phrase.

[@Apollys]

He said that in the video :)

[@boo115luv2]

補充：若(是)下雨的話，我們就不去了(書面)

[@autisticguyreviews]

Anyone else think that Ben is cute?!

[@ほうせんか-l9r]

倘若？若是？如果？要是？假如？

[@user-it8kw3wy2y]

how old are you?! You stay looking the same 😃

[@官一聪]

i speak mandarin and i would like that have someone touch me in English

[@giangha3697]

I'm from China, work in Vietnam, I want to learn English, 加好友一起聊天吧，please

[@e2KeOG]

Xie2

[@viictor1309]

is written "cjinese" in the title in stead of "chinese" :) lol

[@visithtplacewahid7869]

i can use 要是。。。。的话。

[@learnchinesenow]

you can, but people don't say it like that very often

[@thedude1904]

You and your damn hair!

[@zhongkui001]

少小离家老大回，安能便我是雄雌？

[@天翊田]

垂死病中惊坐起，笑问客从何处来？

[@feliperibeiro9079]

FUTURE GRAMMAR PLEASEEEEEEE

[@brianlewis6774]

拉肚子 means diarrhoea

[@rob_patrick1]

Holy crap second comment fifth like the 39th viewer! Lol

[@tyrusch]

What the hell

[@raeleong2009]

你有孩子嗎？

[@larryxue8517]

别一本正经的用着正体字但是用用法全是大陆的。要么简体字加大陆普通话，要么正体字加台湾国语。别弄个驴唇不对马嘴的。

[@maelaekristinaquinones4310]

I'm not here to learn, I just want to see your face.

[@johnhippisley9106]

What about 若是？