哈囉，大家好！ 哈啰，大家好！ Hello everyone!
I’m Grace.
In Chinese, 如果 and 要是 are two common words
that can express “If”.
But what exactly are the differences between them?
Today let’s talk about them
so you’ll know how to choose between them
to sound more natural in Chinese!
Oh, and if you want the handout for this video
and some practice exercises,
you can join my Patreon membership!
You'll get access to that
and lots of other study resources,
and you'll also be supporting me to keep making more content.
Alright 話不多說，我們現在開始吧！ Alright 话不多说，我们现在开始吧！
Both 如果 and 要是 can be used to introduce a condition
or situation that may or may not come true.
For example,
Here we use 如果 and 要是 to propose
a hypothetical situation
“ 明天你很忙 (you’re busy tomorrow)”
and then talk about a result
based on this hypothetical situation.
Btw just a side note,
the standard pronunciation of this word is
“yàoshì” in Taiwanese Mandarin
and “yàoshi” in Mandarin from China.
One thing to keep in mind is that
in Chinese the “if” clause usually comes first,
and then we talk about the result or pose a question
or comment based on the hypothetical situation.
In English, the “if” clause can often be placed at the end,
but in Chinese, it’s not as common.
Alright, now let’s talk about the difference
between these two words.
Generally speaking, 如果 is more commonly used
both in speaking and writing,
whereas 要是 sounds more casual
so it’s mainly used in informal speaking,
you can often hear it in daily conversations.
Although 如果 is more common,
this doesn’t mean that 要是 is less important than 如果,
there are still some contexts
where 要是 is more suitable than 如果
because they also have some subtle differences
in the feeling or mood that is expressed.
Compared to 如果,
要是 sounds more emotional and personal,
and 如果 is more neutral
and sounds more objective.
Because of this difference,
when expressing personal hopes
or desires in daily speech, we often use 要是
Let’s see some examples:
Another example,
Here is a common pattern
to express a wish that probably won’t be fulfilled:
It means "If only..." or "I wish..."
For example
Another example,
要是 is also often used
when threatening or warning others.
Here are some examples:
Here the man is threatening the woman to say yes,
and he uses 要是 here because it makes
his attitude sound more strong and firm.
Another example,
Here the speaker is warning the other person
not to let him get caught,
and using 要是 can convey a stronger attitude
compared to 如果.
Unlike 要是,
如果 sounds more neutral and objective,
so it’s suitable to use in most scenarios and settings.
For example, you can use 如果
to make a polite suggestion
Another example,
Here are some other examples using 如果
Alright, so the main difference
between 如果 and 要是 is that
如果 is more commonly used in general
you can use it both in speaking and writing.
However, 要是 sounds more casual
so it’s mainly used in speaking.
It also sounds more emotional and personal,
so we often use it when expressing personal wishes
or when we want to sound firmer in our attitude,
such as in situations involving threats or warnings.
Just note that in spoken Chinese,
these two are usually interchangeable.
It's not that one is correct and the other is wrong
they just convey slightly different attitudes
or levels of formality.
Okay, that’s it for today!
I haven’t made a teaching video in quite a while
Thank you so much for your patience!
Just a quick reminder
If you want to get the handout for this video
and do some practice exercises,
you can join my Patreon membership.
It’s also a great way to support me in making more content for you!
If you liked today’s content,
you might also enjoy this video
where I explain the difference
between 但是 (but) and 可是 (but)
Also, if there are any other words
you’ve been wondering about their difference,
feel free to leave a comment and let me know
it might turn into a future video!
Okay, last but not least,
if you want to learn some daily Mandarin expressions,
be sure to check out my Instagram @gracemandarin
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!