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Expressing "if" formally with 倘若 (tǎngruò)
HSK 5Structure
倘若 + Condition, 就/则 + Result
Explanation
倘若 (tǎngruò) is a formal and literary way to say "if" in Chinese, similar in meaning to 如果 (rúguǒ) but much less common in everyday speech. It is typically found in written language, literature, or formal discourse. The structure follows the same conditional pattern as other "if" words, often paired with 就 or 则 in the result clause.
Examples
倘若你有困难，随时可以找我帮忙。
tǎngruò nǐ yǒu kùnnán, suíshí kěyǐ zhǎo wǒ bāngmáng.
If you have any difficulties, you can come to me for help at any time.
倘若明天下雪，比赛就延期举行。
tǎngruò míngtiān xià xuě, bǐsài jiù yánqī jǔxíng.
If it snows tomorrow, the competition will be postponed.
倘若没有他们的支持，这件事不可能成功。
tǎngruò méiyǒu tāmen de zhīchí, zhè jiàn shì bù kěnéng chénggōng.
If it weren't for their support, this matter couldn't have succeeded.