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Level Independent Chinese · HSK 3

Conditions: 只要…就, 只有…才, 要是 and 没有…就没有

At A2 you met 如果…就 for if. B1 adds conditions with attitude: "as long as" (an easy condition) and "only if" (a demanding one). The second half changes with them: 只要 pairs with 就, 只有 with 才.

只要…就 vs 只有…才

只要 (zhǐyào) gives a condition that's enough: meet it and the result follows. 只有 (zhǐyǒu) gives the one condition without which the result won't happen. 就 and 才 go after the subject of the second clause.

PatternMeaningExample
只要…就…as long as (enough)只要你努力，就能学好。
只有…才…only if (necessary)只有多练习，才能说得流利。

  • 只要你努力，就能学好。

    Zhǐyào nǐ nǔlì, jiù néng xuéhǎo.

    As long as you work hard, you'll learn it well.

  • 只有多练习，才能说得流利。

    Zhǐyǒu duō liànxí, cái néng shuō de liúlì.

    Only by practising a lot can you speak fluently.

要是…(的话) and 要不

要是 (yàoshi) is the everyday spoken "if"; 如果 is neutral and works in writing. 要不 (yàobù) means "otherwise" and also "how about" when making a suggestion.

  • 要是你不舒服，就早点儿回家吧。

    Yàoshi nǐ bù shūfu, jiù zǎo diǎnr huí jiā ba.

    If you're not feeling well, go home early.

  • 快走吧，要不就迟到了。

    Kuài zǒu ba, yàobù jiù chídào le.

    Let's hurry, or we'll be late.

没有 A 就没有 B; 不…就不…

没有 A，就没有 B: without A there would be no B. With verbs, 你不去，我就不去 (if you don't go, I won't). Repeating the same verb, 不去就不去, is a defiant "I'm not going, and that's that".

  • 没有你的帮助，就没有我的今天。

    Méiyǒu nǐ de bāngzhù, jiù méiyǒu wǒ de jīntiān.

    I wouldn't be where I am today without your help.

  • 你不去，我就不去。

    Nǐ bú qù, wǒ jiù bú qù.

    If you don't go, I won't either.

  • 不去就不去！

    Bú qù jiù bú qù!

    Fine, I'm not going then!

Common mistakes

  • ✗只有多练习，就能说好。

    ✓只有多练习，才能说好。

    Zhǐyǒu duō liànxí, cái néng shuō hǎo.

    只有 pairs with 才; 只要 pairs with 就.

  • ✗只要你来，我才高兴。

    ✓只要你来，我就高兴。

    Zhǐyào nǐ lái, wǒ jiù gāoxìng.

    只要 introduces a sufficient condition, so the result takes 就.

  • ✗要是下雨，就我们不去。

    ✓要是下雨，我们就不去。

    Yàoshi xià yǔ, wǒmen jiù bú qù.

    就 goes after the subject, before the verb.

Questions learners ask

Is 只有 here the same as 只 + 有 (only have)?

Same characters. As a conjunction before a clause it means "only if"; before a noun it can simply mean "only have": 我只有十块钱.

Can 要是 and 的话 be used together?

Yes: 要是你有时间的话. Either one alone is also fine.

Practice this in lessons

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