RealHSK

HSK 3Lesson 14 of 15 · 6 grammar points

Hypotheses, conditions and purposes

如果 and 的话 introduce hypotheses. 只有 makes a condition necessary; 只要 presents it as sufficient. 为了 gives a goal. A short action with 了 can precede a future result, so do not equate its marker with past time.

Learning goals (6)
  • Hypothesis and result.
  • A clause as condition.
  • Necessary conditions.
  • Sufficient conditions.
  • Purpose clauses.
  • Compact action sequences.

如果…，就…

Hypothesis and result

如果…就… makes the result conditional on a hypothetical situation.

如果明天下雨，我们就不去。

Rú guǒ míng tiān xià yǔ, wǒ men jiù bù qù.

If it rains tomorrow, we won't go.

More

Pitfall: A hypothetical condition need not already be true.

…的话，就…

A clause as condition

的话 after a clause frames it as a condition, with 就 commonly introducing the result.

你不去的话，我就自己去。

Nǐ bù qù de huà, wǒ jiù zì jǐ qù.

If you don't go, I'll go by myself.

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Pitfall: The conditional marker follows the condition rather than preceding it.

只有…，才…

Necessary conditions

只有…才… presents a requirement for a result. Meeting the requirement need not alone guarantee success.

只有买票，才能进去。

Zhǐ yǒu mǎi piào, cái néng jìn qù.

You can enter only if you buy a ticket.

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Pitfall: Do not swap this with 只要 without changing the claimed relationship.

只要…，就…

Sufficient conditions

只要…就… presents a condition as enough for the stated result.

只要你愿意，我们就一起去。

Zhǐ yào nǐ yuàn yì, wǒ men jiù yī qǐ qù.

As long as you are willing, we will go together.

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Pitfall: This does not say willingness is the only possible condition in all contexts.

为了…，…

Purpose clauses

为了 introduces the intended goal of an action. The goal can come before the main clause.

为了赶车，他很早就出门了。

Wèi le gǎn chē, tā hěn zǎo jiù chū mén le.

He left early to catch the vehicle.

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Pitfall: The goal is not automatically guaranteed to be achieved.

吃了饭

Compact action sequences

A bounded first action with 了 can lead directly to a following action, often with 就.

吃了饭就走。

Chī le fàn jiù zǒu.

Leave after eating.

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Pitfall: Here the first action can still be future relative to now; 了 is not simply past tense.

Source details (official syllabus)

  • Hypothesis and result

    Syllabus item
    如果……，就……
    Category
    假设复句
    Grammar ID
    grammar-L3-089
    PDF page
    394 (printed 391)

  • A clause as condition

    Syllabus item
    ……的话，就……
    Category
    假设复句
    Grammar ID
    grammar-L3-090
    PDF page
    394 (printed 391)

  • Necessary conditions

    Syllabus item
    只有……，才……
    Category
    条件复句
    Grammar ID
    grammar-L3-091
    PDF page
    394 (printed 391)

  • Sufficient conditions

    Syllabus item
    只要……，就……
    Category
    条件复句
    Grammar ID
    grammar-L3-092
    PDF page
    394 (printed 391)

  • Purpose clauses

    Syllabus item
    为了……，……
    Category
    目的复句
    Grammar ID
    grammar-L3-093
    PDF page
    394 (printed 391)

  • Compact action sequences

    Syllabus item
    ……了……（就）……
    Category
    紧缩复句
    Grammar ID
    grammar-L3-094
    PDF page
    394 (printed 391)