<blockquote>
  <p>你 高兴，我 也 高兴。</p>
</blockquote>

<p>I interpret it as "<em>You are happy, and I am happy too</em>." It means your happiness may not be necessarily relevant to mine, but they just happen simultaneously for some or no reason. </p>

<p>Think about this similar sentence: 你有苹果，我也有苹果. It means you have an apple and I have one too. It doesn't mean if you have an apple then I have an apple too. There isn't any correlation here. </p>

<p>"<em>If you are happy then I am happy.</em>" is more like (如果)你高兴，我就高兴. 如果 in this case can be dropped. </p>

<p>But if you say 如果你有苹果，我就有苹果， it clearly address the conditional relationship. It means both of us share the same prerequisite for getting an apple. So, if you can get one, then no doubt I can get one too. </p>

<p>Hope this clear. </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-13T14:50:16.780Z
2018-07-13T15:02:17.800Z
2018-07-13T15:02:17.800Z
dan
<p>I found the following example on this <a href="https://www.duolingo.com/skill/zs/Greeting-2/tips-and-notes" rel="nofollow noreferrer">webpage</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>你 高兴，我 也 高兴。</p>
  
  <p>nǐ gāoxìng, wǒ yě gāoxìng.</p>
  
  <p>If you are happy then I am happy.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Somehow, the translation sounds weird to me, as I would rather translate it more literally with <em>"You are happy, (and) I am also happy"</em>.</p>

<p><strong>Q.</strong> Is this a common way to construct <em>"if ... then ..."</em>-kind of  sentences?</p>

<p>When I searched about this topic online, I was only able to find the following approaches and not the one I have doubts about:</p>

<ul>
<li><a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_%22if%E2%80%A6,_then%E2%80%A6%22_with_%22ruguo%E2%80%A6,_jiu%E2%80%A6%22" rel="nofollow noreferrer">如果 ⋯⋯ ，就 ⋯⋯</a></li>
<li><a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_%22if%E2%80%A6_then%E2%80%A6%22_with_%22jiaru%22" rel="nofollow noreferrer">假如 + Statement + 就 + Result</a></li>
<li><a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_%22if%E2%80%A6_then%E2%80%A6%22_with_%22jiashi%22" rel="nofollow noreferrer">假使 + Statement + 就 + Result</a></li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-13T14:25:27.343Z
These are called "bare conditionals" / 无标记条件句 in the Chinese linguistic literature.
Michaelyus
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-13T14:32:23.047Z
@Michaelyus [these bare conditionals](https://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/bitstream/handle/2152/ETD-UT-2010-12-2264/HUANG-DISSERTATION.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y)?
Patrick Trentin
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-13T14:56:20.630Z
see grammar on 无连接词(主从)复合句 (subordinated) complex sentences w/o conjunctions, e.g. https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/2E5020D173870E6C7993DEE6984A9A87/9781139028462c14_p401-450_CBO.pdf/sentence_types.pdf
p.448, 14.10. Compound sentences without overt marking
user6065
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-13T16:00:03.217Z
@PatrickTrentin Yep that's correct.
Michaelyus
<learning>
if ... then ... in Chinese without any special words
# if ... then ... in Chinese without any special words

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-07-13)

I found the following example on this [webpage](https://www.duolingo.com/skill/zs/Greeting-2/tips-and-notes):

> 你 高兴，我 也 高兴。
>
> nǐ gāoxìng, wǒ yě gāoxìng.
>
> If you are happy then I am happy.

Somehow, the translation sounds weird to me, as I would rather translate it more literally with *"You are happy, (and) I am also happy"*.

**Q.** Is this a common way to construct *"if ... then ..."*-kind of sentences?

When I searched about this topic online, I was only able to find the following approaches and not the one I have doubts about:

* [如果 ⋯⋯ ，就 ⋯⋯](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_%22if%E2%80%A6,_then%E2%80%A6%22_with_%22ruguo%E2%80%A6,_jiu%E2%80%A6%22)
* [假如 + Statement + 就 + Result](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_%22if%E2%80%A6_then%E2%80%A6%22_with_%22jiaru%22)
* [假使 + Statement + 就 + Result](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_%22if%E2%80%A6_then%E2%80%A6%22_with_%22jiashi%22)

**Tags:** learning

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: These are called "bare conditionals" / 无标记条件句 in the Chinese linguistic literature.  
> **username_0**: @username_1 [these bare conditionals](https://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/bitstream/handle/2152/ETD-UT-2010-12-2264/HUANG-DISSERTATION.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y)?  
> **username_2**: see grammar on 无连接词(主从)复合句 (subordinated) complex sentences w/o conjunctions, e.g. https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/2E5020D173870E6C7993DEE6984A9A87/9781139028462c14_p401-450_CBO.pdf/sentence_types.pdf p.448, 14.10. Compound sentences without overt marking  
> **username_1**: @username_0 Yep that's correct.  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2018-07-13. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

> 你 高兴，我 也 高兴。

I interpret it as "*You are happy, and I am happy too*." It means your happiness may not be necessarily relevant to mine, but they just happen simultaneously for some or no reason.

Think about this similar sentence: 你有苹果，我也有苹果. It means you have an apple and I have one too. It doesn't mean if you have an apple then I have an apple too. There isn't any correlation here.

"*If you are happy then I am happy.*" is more like (如果)你高兴，我就高兴. 如果 in this case can be dropped.

But if you say 如果你有苹果，我就有苹果， it clearly address the conditional relationship. It means both of us share the same prerequisite for getting an apple. So, if you can get one, then no doubt I can get one too.

Hope this clear.


---

