Conditional, cause and concession
A2 假设、因果与转折复句 33 / 56
In short
Chinese joins two clauses with a matched pair of words - one opening each half: 如果……就 (rúguǒ……jiù, if … then), 因为……所以 (yīnwèi……suǒyǐ, because … so), 虽然……但是 (suīrán……dànshì, although … but). Where English drops one side (“if it rains, I won’t go”), Chinese usually keeps both. The trap is the second word - the 就 and the 所以/但是 learners forget.
The rule
Step 1 - Logical clauses come in fixed pairs. A conjunction opens clause 1, and a matching word opens clause 2. Unlike English, Chinese normally keeps both halves; drop the second word and the sentence sounds unfinished. Learn the three pairs as units, not as single words.
Step 2 - Conditional: 如果 / 要是……就. 如果 (rúguǒ) and the more colloquial 要是 (yàoshi) both mean “if”; the result clause is introduced by the adverb 就 (jiù) - unless it already opens with a modal such as 可以 or 能, which carries the link on its own and lets 就 drop: 你不喜欢的话，可以换一个。
如果 + condition，(subject) + 就 + result
如果明天下雨，我就不去。 (rúguǒ míngtiān xià yǔ, wǒ jiù bú qù) - If it rains tomorrow, I won’t go. Note where 就 sits: after the subject of the second clause, right before the verb. A second “if”: tag ……的话 (……de huà) onto the end of the condition - 明天下雨的话，我就不去 - alone or together with 如果/要是.
Step 3 - Cause and effect: 因为……所以. 因为 (yīnwèi, because) opens the reason; 所以 (suǒyǐ, so / therefore) opens the result. English keeps only one (“Because it rained, I didn’t go” / “It rained, so I didn’t go”); standard Chinese keeps both.
因为 + reason，所以 + result
因为下雨，所以我没去。 (yīnwèi xià yǔ, suǒyǐ wǒ méi qù) - Because it rained, I didn’t go. You may also front the result and let the reason trail: 我没去，因为下雨 - then 所以 is simply dropped.
Step 4 - Concession: 虽然……但是 / 可是. 虽然 (suīrán, although) opens the concession; 但是 (dànshì) or the slightly more colloquial 可是 (kěshì) - both “but” - opens the contrast. English bans “although … but”; Chinese requires the pair.
虽然 + fact，但是 / 可是 + contrast
虽然很贵，但是我买了。 (suīrán hěn guì, dànshì wǒ mǎi le) - Although it’s expensive, I bought it.
Placement, once and for all. The conjunctions 因为 / 虽然 / 所以 / 但是 / 可是 sit at the head of their clause (before the subject). 如果 / 要是 may go before or after the subject. But 就 is an adverb: it stands after the subject and before the verb, and never in front of a subject that is there. When the result clause repeats no subject - because it is the same person, or because it is an instruction - nothing is left in front of 就 and it opens the clause: 如果你有时间，就给我打电话。
Forms & patterns
The three pairs at a glance:
| Relation | Clause 1 opener | Clause 2 opener | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conditional | 如果 / 要是 (rúguǒ / yàoshi) | 就 (jiù) | if … then |
| Conditional (tag) | ……的话 (……de huà) | 就 (jiù) | if … then |
| Cause - effect | 因为 (yīnwèi) | 所以 (suǒyǐ) | because … so |
| Concession | 虽然 (suīrán) | 但是 / 可是 (dànshì / kěshì) | although … but |
Where each word sits in its clause:
| Word | Position | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 如果 / 要是 | before or after the subject | conjunction |
| 因为 / 虽然 | before the subject (clause head) | conjunction |
| 所以 / 但是 / 可是 | before the subject (clause head) | conjunction |
| 就 | after the subject, before the verb | adverb |
Examples
- 如果你有时间，就给我打电话。 (Rúguǒ nǐ yǒu shíjiān, jiù gěi wǒ dǎ diànhuà.) - If you have time, give me a call.
- 要是明天下雨，我们就不去公园。 (Yàoshi míngtiān xià yǔ, wǒmen jiù bú qù gōngyuán.) - If it rains tomorrow, we won’t go to the park.
- 你不喜欢的话，可以换一个。 (Nǐ bù xǐhuan de huà, kěyǐ huàn yí ge.) - If you don’t like it, you can swap it for another one.
- 因为我生病了，所以没去上班。 (Yīnwèi wǒ shēngbìng le, suǒyǐ méi qù shàngbān.) - Because I got sick, I didn’t go to work.
- 因为天气不好，所以航班取消了。 (Yīnwèi tiānqì bù hǎo, suǒyǐ hángbān qǔxiāo le.) - Because the weather was bad, the flight was cancelled.
- 我没去，因为我太忙了。 (Wǒ méi qù, yīnwèi wǒ tài máng le.) - I didn’t go, because I was too busy.
- 虽然他很累，但是还在工作。 (Suīrán tā hěn lèi, dànshì hái zài gōngzuò.) - Although he’s tired, he’s still working.
- 虽然这家餐厅很贵，可是菜很好吃。 (Suīrán zhè jiā cāntīng hěn guì, kěshì cài hěn hǎochī.) - Although this restaurant is expensive, the food is delicious.
- 如果你累了，就早点休息。 (Rúguǒ nǐ lèi le, jiù zǎodiǎn xiūxi.) - If you’re tired, rest a little earlier.
- 虽然我们赢了，但是大家都不高兴。 (Suīrán wǒmen yíng le, dànshì dàjiā dōu bù gāoxìng.) - Although we won, nobody was happy.
Common mistakes
- 如果明天有空，就我去看你。 -> 如果明天有空，我就去看你。 - 就 is an adverb, so it follows the subject; it may open the clause only where no subject is repeated at all.
- 虽然他很努力，所以没成功。 -> 虽然他很努力，但是没成功。 - 虽然 pairs with 但是 / 可是 (contrast), never with 所以 (result).
- 因为堵车，但是我迟到了。 -> 因为堵车，所以我迟到了。 - a cause pairs with 所以 (so), not 但是 (but); match the pair to the logic.
- 的话你不去，我也不去。 -> 你不去的话，我也不去。 - ……的话 is a tag that clips onto the end of the condition clause, never the front.
Tips
- Chinese loves matched pairs where English drops one half. “Although … but” and “because … so” are wrong in English but standard in Chinese: 虽然……但是, 因为……所以. When in doubt, keep both.
- Two positions to keep apart: the conjunctions (如果 / 因为 / 虽然 / 所以 / 但是) sit at the head of their clause, but 就 is an adverb and hides after the subject. Memory hook: 就 is a 副词 (fùcí, adverb), so it clings to the verb, never in front of a subject.
- Register: 要是 (yàoshi) and ……的话 are conversational “if”; 如果 is neutral and safe in writing. 可是 (kěshì) is a shade more colloquial than 但是 (dànshì) - both are fine.
- Watch the 不 tone in these result clauses: 不 is bù, but before a 4th-tone verb it becomes bú - hence 就不去 is jiù bú qù, not bù qù.