Chinese word

若

Pronunciation

Pinyinruò

Meaning

  • conjunctionif

Example

他若不到，会议就不能开始。tā ruò bú dào huì yì jiù bù néng kāi shǐ

If he doesn't arrive, the meeting cannot start.

Illustration for 若 (if)

More examples

若有疑问，请及时联系我。ruò yǒu yí wèn qǐng jí shí lián xì wǒ

If you have any questions, please contact me promptly.

Core concept

A bridge from an imagined case to what may follow from it.

Common phrases

  • 若有ruò yǒu

    if there is

  • 若无ruò wú

    if there is no

  • 假若jiǎ ruò

    if

Similar words

如果rú guǒ: Links a condition to a possible result in spoken or written language.
要是yào shì: Presents a what-if condition in relaxed everyday speech.
假如jiǎ rú: Presents a hypothetical situation for discussing what could happen.
倘若tǎng ruò: Expresses a condition with a slightly formal written tone.

Definition in Chinese

表示假设，即在某种情形成立时说明可能出现的结果或情况，常见于书面语或正式表述。biǎo shì jiǎ shè jí zài móu zhǒng qíng xíng chéng lì shí shuō míng kě néng chū xiàn de jié guǒ huò qíng kuàng cháng jiàn yú shū miàn yǔ huò zhèng shì biǎo shù

Word origin

In Classical Chinese, 若 (ruò, "if") could introduce a comparison or an imagined case, and its imagined-case use became the formal written conjunction used today.

Usage tips

  • This conjunction often gives ordinary ideas a formal written tone, so recognizing it helps with announcements, rules, and other texts even when it is less common in speech.

Other meanings

  • supposingadverb
  • if by any chanceadverb

Related words

  • 若无其事ruò wú qí shìact as if nothing happenedidiom
  • 不若bú ruòrather thanconjunction

Word lists with this word