1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:00,865
哈囉，大家好！
哈啰，大家好！
Hello everyone!

2
00:00:00,865 --> 00:00:01,731
I’m Grace.

3
00:00:01,731 --> 00:00:05,649
In Chinese, 如果 and 要是 are two common words

4
00:00:05,649 --> 00:00:07,503
that can express “If”.

5
00:00:07,503 --> 00:00:10,340
But what exactly are the differences between them?

6
00:00:10,340 --> 00:00:11,783
Today let’s talk about them

7
00:00:11,783 --> 00:00:13,908
so you’ll know how to choose between
them

8
00:00:13,908 --> 00:00:16,156
to sound more natural in Chinese!

9
00:00:16,156 --> 00:00:18,327
Oh, and if you want the handout for this video

10
00:00:18,327 --> 00:00:20,072
and some practice exercises,

11
00:00:20,072 --> 00:00:22,096
you can join my Patreon membership!

12
00:00:22,096 --> 00:00:23,508
You'll get access to that

13
00:00:23,508 --> 00:00:26,329
and lots of other study resources,

14
00:00:26,649 --> 00:00:29,950
and you'll also be supporting me to keep making more content.

15
00:00:29,950 --> 00:00:32,952
Alright 話不多說，我們現在開始吧！
Alright 话不多说，我们现在开始吧！

16
00:00:36,848 --> 00:00:40,860
Both 如果 and 要是 can be used to introduce a condition

17
00:00:40,860 --> 00:00:43,745
or situation that may or may not come true.

18
00:00:43,745 --> 00:00:45,254
For example,

19
00:01:22,054 --> 00:01:27,475
Here we use 如果 and 要是 to propose

20
00:01:27,475 --> 00:01:29,833
a hypothetical situation

21
00:01:29,833 --> 00:01:35,215
“ 明天你很忙 (you’re busy tomorrow)”

22
00:01:35,215 --> 00:01:36,984
and then talk about a result

23
00:01:36,984 --> 00:01:40,514
based on this hypothetical situation.

24
00:01:40,514 --> 00:01:42,357
Btw just a side note,

25
00:01:42,357 --> 00:01:45,810
the standard pronunciation of this word is

26
00:01:45,810 --> 00:01:51,176
“yàoshì” in Taiwanese Mandarin

27
00:01:51,176 --> 00:01:56,551
and “yàoshi” in Mandarin from China.

28
00:01:56,551 --> 00:01:58,259
One thing to keep in mind is that

29
00:01:58,259 --> 00:02:02,526
in Chinese the “if” clause usually comes first,

30
00:02:02,526 --> 00:02:05,893
and then we talk about the result or pose a question

31
00:02:05,893 --> 00:02:09,775
or comment based on the hypothetical situation.

32
00:02:09,775 --> 00:02:13,655
In English, the “if” clause can often be placed at the end,

33
00:02:13,655 --> 00:02:16,503
but in Chinese, it’s not as common.

34
00:02:17,613 --> 00:02:19,485
Alright, now let’s talk about the difference

35
00:02:19,485 --> 00:02:21,215
between these two words.

36
00:02:21,215 --> 00:02:24,661
Generally speaking, 如果 is more commonly used

37
00:02:24,661 --> 00:02:26,878
both in speaking and writing,

38
00:02:26,878 --> 00:02:29,414
whereas 要是 sounds more casual

39
00:02:29,414 --> 00:02:32,372
so it’s mainly used in informal speaking,

40
00:02:32,372 --> 00:02:35,092
you can often hear it in daily conversations.

41
00:02:35,092 --> 00:02:37,408
Although 如果 is more common,

42
00:02:37,408 --> 00:02:41,477
this doesn’t mean that 要是 is less important than 如果,

43
00:02:41,477 --> 00:02:42,948
there are still some contexts

44
00:02:42,948 --> 00:02:46,126
where 要是 is more suitable than 如果

45
00:02:46,126 --> 00:02:48,391
because they also have some subtle differences

46
00:02:48,391 --> 00:02:51,352
in the feeling or mood that is expressed.

47
00:02:51,352 --> 00:02:52,816
Compared to 如果,

48
00:02:52,816 --> 00:02:56,160
要是 sounds more emotional and personal,

49
00:02:56,160 --> 00:02:57,837
and 如果 is more neutral

50
00:02:57,837 --> 00:02:59,588
and sounds more objective.

51
00:02:59,588 --> 00:03:00,912
Because of this difference,

52
00:03:00,912 --> 00:03:03,033
when expressing personal hopes

53
00:03:03,033 --> 00:03:07,443
or desires in daily speech, we often use 要是

54
00:03:07,443 --> 00:03:09,375
Let’s see some examples:

55
00:03:32,265 --> 00:03:34,015
Another example,

56
00:04:01,063 --> 00:04:02,331
Here is a common pattern

57
00:04:02,331 --> 00:04:06,125
to express a wish that probably won’t be fulfilled:

58
00:04:13,210 --> 00:04:16,635
It means "If only..." or "I wish..."

59
00:04:17,647 --> 00:04:18,947
For example

60
00:04:34,309 --> 00:04:35,902
Another example,

61
00:04:52,210 --> 00:04:54,356
要是 is also often used

62
00:04:54,356 --> 00:04:56,836
when threatening or warning others.

63
00:04:56,836 --> 00:04:58,913
Here are some examples:

64
00:05:31,995 --> 00:05:35,218
Here the man is threatening the woman to say yes,

65
00:05:35,218 --> 00:05:38,517
and he uses 要是 here because it makes

66
00:05:38,517 --> 00:05:42,038
his attitude sound more strong and firm.

67
00:05:42,038 --> 00:05:44,050
Another example,

68
00:06:03,573 --> 00:06:05,899
Here the speaker is warning the other person

69
00:06:05,899 --> 00:06:07,716
not to let him get caught,

70
00:06:07,716 --> 00:06:11,748
and using 要是 can convey a stronger attitude

71
00:06:11,748 --> 00:06:14,341
compared to 如果.

72
00:06:14,341 --> 00:06:15,951
Unlike 要是,

73
00:06:15,951 --> 00:06:19,263
如果 sounds more neutral and objective,

74
00:06:19,263 --> 00:06:23,020
so it’s suitable to use in most scenarios and settings.

75
00:06:23,020 --> 00:06:25,493
For example, you can use 如果

76
00:06:25,493 --> 00:06:27,533
to make a polite suggestion

77
00:06:47,453 --> 00:06:49,173
Another example,

78
00:07:12,772 --> 00:07:15,832
Here are some other examples using 如果

79
00:08:14,691 --> 00:08:15,942
Alright, so the main difference

80
00:08:15,942 --> 00:08:18,792
between 如果 and 要是 is that

81
00:08:18,792 --> 00:08:21,905
如果 is more commonly used in general

82
00:08:21,905 --> 00:08:24,586
you can use it both in speaking and writing.

83
00:08:24,586 --> 00:08:27,612
However, 要是 sounds more casual

84
00:08:27,612 --> 00:08:29,804
so it’s mainly used in speaking.

85
00:08:29,804 --> 00:08:32,854
It also sounds more emotional and personal,

86
00:08:32,854 --> 00:08:36,088
so we often use it when expressing personal wishes

87
00:08:36,088 --> 00:08:38,764
or when we want to sound firmer in our attitude,

88
00:08:38,764 --> 00:08:42,390
such as in situations involving threats or warnings.

89
00:08:42,390 --> 00:08:44,236
Just note that in spoken Chinese,

90
00:08:44,236 --> 00:08:46,917
these two are usually interchangeable.

91
00:08:46,917 --> 00:08:50,044
It's not that one is correct and the other is wrong

92
00:08:50,044 --> 00:08:52,547
they just convey slightly different attitudes

93
00:08:52,547 --> 00:08:54,696
or levels of formality.

94
00:08:54,696 --> 00:08:56,290
Okay, that’s it for today!

95
00:08:56,290 --> 00:08:58,695
I haven’t made a teaching video in quite a while

96
00:08:58,695 --> 00:09:01,183
Thank you so much for your patience!

97
00:09:01,183 --> 00:09:02,452
Just a quick reminder

98
00:09:02,452 --> 00:09:04,753
If you want to get the handout for this video

99
00:09:04,753 --> 00:09:06,806
and do some practice exercises,

100
00:09:06,806 --> 00:09:08,842
you can join my Patreon membership.

101
00:09:08,842 --> 00:09:13,261
It’s also a great way to support me in making more content for you!

102
00:09:14,081 --> 00:09:15,464
If you liked today’s content,

103
00:09:15,464 --> 00:09:17,064
you might also enjoy this video

104
00:09:17,064 --> 00:09:18,891
where I explain the difference

105
00:09:18,891 --> 00:09:21,367
between 但是 (but) and 可是 (but)

106
00:09:21,367 --> 00:09:23,138
Also, if there are any other words

107
00:09:23,138 --> 00:09:25,178
you’ve been wondering about their difference,

108
00:09:25,178 --> 00:09:27,943
feel free to leave a comment and let me know

109
00:09:27,943 --> 00:09:29,989
it might turn into a future video!

110
00:09:29,989 --> 00:09:31,458
Okay, last but not least,

111
00:09:31,458 --> 00:09:34,300
if you want to learn some daily Mandarin expressions,

112
00:09:34,300 --> 00:09:37,643
be sure to check out my Instagram @gracemandarin

113
00:09:37,643 --> 00:09:40,951
那我們下次見囉!拜拜!
那我们下次⻅啰!拜拜!
I’ll see you next time! Bye!