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要是 (yào shi) — (colloquial) if

Definition

Colloquial 'if' for everyday speech. Same meaning as 如果 but more casual; 假如 and 若是 are written/formal.

conjunction
(colloquial) if
Easily confused

Examples

  • 要是，。
    yào shi Míng tiān bú xià yǔ, wǒ men jiù qù gōng yuán.
    If it doesn't rain tomorrow, we'll go to the park.
  • 要是，。
    yào shi Nǐ è le, bīng xiāng lǐ yǒu chī de.
    If you're hungry, there's food in the fridge.
  • 要是，。
    yào shi Tā bù tóng yì, wǒ men dé zài shāng liang.
    If he doesn't agree, we'll have to discuss it again.

Origin

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

要 began as a drawing of a person with both hands pointing to the waist.

Open 要 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 是 →

Grammar

Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 4HSK 2.0 Level 5Cause, Effect & Logic2000 Most Frequent Chinese Words3000 Most Frequent Chinese Words5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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