HSK 5 · VERSION 2.0#76
Conditions with “yào” and “jiù”
要……就……
How it works
要……就…… (yào...jiù...) is a spoken conditional structure meaning “if... then...” It is similar to 如果……就…… (rúguǒ...jiù...), but more colloquial.
Example sentences
你要是觉得不合适,就直接提出来,别一直放在心里。
If you feel it is not suitable, then say it directly and do not keep it in your heart.
我们要是不提前准备,明天就很可能来不及。
If we do not prepare in advance, then tomorrow we will very likely not make it in time.
他要是真有诚意,就不会等到现在才联系你。
If he were truly sincere, then he would not have waited until now to contact you.
Key point
This pattern is highly common in natural spoken Chinese.