<p>you may consider "倘若", "假如", or "假使"</p>

<p><a href="http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/cgi-bin/cbdic/gsweb.cgi?o=dcbdic&amp;searchid=Z00000051670" rel="nofollow">http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/cgi-bin/cbdic/gsweb.cgi?o=dcbdic&amp;searchid=Z00000051670</a></p>

<p><a href="http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/cgi-bin/cbdic/gsweb.cgi?o=dcbdic&amp;searchid=Z00000089761" rel="nofollow">http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/cgi-bin/cbdic/gsweb.cgi?o=dcbdic&amp;searchid=Z00000089761</a></p>

<p><a href="http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/cgi-bin/cbdic/gsweb.cgi?o=dcbdic&amp;searchid=Z00000089751" rel="nofollow">http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/cgi-bin/cbdic/gsweb.cgi?o=dcbdic&amp;searchid=Z00000089751</a></p>

<p>but, the chinese language is "fuzzy", these terms do not absolutely indicate an untrue condition in the clause; they just merely imply such.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-08-04T13:56:45.600Z
I would really appreciate an explanation in English (apart from the examples). My Chinese is basic and if I have to translate I only get the basics.
Ludi
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-08-03T19:51:40.670Z
2016-08-03T19:51:40.670Z
水巷孑蠻
<p>Is there a way to say </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>if you had come to the meeting... ,</p>
</blockquote>

<p>in other words the untrue condition, as opposed to :</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>if you have come to the meeting... ,</p>
</blockquote>

<p>the mere if clause? I used to think it was 假如, but dictionary examples suggest otherwise. For example:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>假如有這必要, 就這麼幹吧。</p>
</blockquote>

<p>EDIT: </p>

<p>If you use context to express this difference, please provide examples!
I would really appreciate an explanation in English (apart from the examples). My Chinese is basic and if I have to translate I only get the basics.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-08-03T19:36:09.697Z
unreality of condition to be deduced from context, cf. e.g. 虚拟条件句的三种基本类型 http://www.yygrammar.com/Article/200802/202.html
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-08-03T23:18:12.820Z
find 100 example sentences for "If I had" also for "If I knew", etc. at jukuu
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-08-04T04:55:19.990Z
If you had is just 要是/如果你X了：if you had gone 你要是去了 / if you had listened 要是听了
Mou某
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-08-04T07:31:06.543Z
@user3306356 So no difference to "if you have"?
Ludi
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-08-04T07:34:36.940Z
@user6065 I have already used that engine, as well as others and the overwhelming majority of sentences reinforced my confusion, as I could not spot any difference.
Ludi
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-08-04T13:20:33.393Z
see grammars，e。g。＂外国人实用汉语语法＂复句｜偏正复句｜（三）条件关系（conditional) vs。（四）假设关系（hypothetical)（三）一个分句（偏句）提出条件，另一个分句（正句）说明在这条件下产生的结果。例如：不管前排后排的话，你都替我买一张。只要是星期天，我就有时间。只有努力工作，才不辜负人民的培养。我一感冒，就发烧。（四）一个分句（偏句）提出一个假设的情况，另一个分句（正句）说明由假设情况产生的结果或推论。例如：要是你门有兴趣，我就陪你们去公园。大家如果有意见，就提出来。即使我病了，也一定参加这次大型的演出活动。便正复句中常用的关联词，列入如下：条件关系：不管。。。，都（也）。。。｜不论。。。，都（也）。。。｜无论。。。，都（也）。。。｜只要。。。，就。。。｜只有。。。，才。。。｜除非。。。｜才。。。｜一。。。，就。。。｜假设关系：要是。。。，就。。。｜如果。。。，就。。。｜假如。。。｜就。。。｜假使。。。，就。。。 Also search web using "英语虚拟语气怎么翻译" and  "how to translate subjunctive into Chinese"-> e.g.http://www.academypublication.com/issues/past/tpls/vol02/01/26.pdf
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-08-04T13:47:20.787Z
@user6065 the link is helpful, because the pdf is in English. Explanations that are only in Chinese, tend to be too difficult for me.
Ludi
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-08-04T13:48:57.460Z
context: OP please provide contexts, which would not
distinguish between real and unreal conditions, in following examples, context does tell (more or less)
if you have come to the meeting, tell me who was there.
if you had come to the meeting, you could tell me who was there. In any case context often does tell.
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-08-04T13:55:23.537Z
@user6065 good point and helpful example! But there are also many examples, where someone used to thinking in European languages, does not see context. Such as the following dialogue: A: But he would have known about that! B: If he had come to the meatings.
Ludi
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-08-04T13:59:12.833Z
@user6065 the problem may well come from the fact I am so used to having this device at my disposal, that I don't think of intelligently rephrasing sentences.
Ludi
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-08-04T14:06:21.143Z
@user6065 would it be natural to operate like this: 這件事他原來該知道了！他要是去開會就知道了，只不過他沒去！ In other words, adding information about the irreality?
Ludi
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-08-04T16:20:36.463Z
@Ludi have (already) would be more like 已经X | like I (have) already heard you 我已经听到了 vs if you had listened 你要是听了…
Mou某
<grammar><word-choice>
If you have vs if you had
# If you have vs if you had

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-08-03)

Is there a way to say

> if you had come to the meeting... ,

in other words the untrue condition, as opposed to :

> if you have come to the meeting... ,

the mere if clause? I used to think it was 假如, but dictionary examples suggest otherwise. For example:

> 假如有這必要, 就這麼幹吧。

EDIT:

If you use context to express this difference, please provide examples!
I would really appreciate an explanation in English (apart from the examples). My Chinese is basic and if I have to translate I only get the basics.

**Tags:** grammar, word-choice

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: unreality of condition to be deduced from context, cf. e.g. 虚拟条件句的三种基本类型 http://www.yygrammar.com/Article/200802/202.html  
> **username_1**: find 100 example sentences for "If I had" also for "If I knew", etc. at jukuu  
> **username_2**: If you had is just 要是/如果你X了：if you had gone 你要是去了 / if you had listened 要是听了  
> **username_0**: @user3306356 So no difference to "if you have"?  
> **username_0**: @username_1 I have already used that engine, as well as others and the overwhelming majority of sentences reinforced my confusion, as I could not spot any difference.  
> **username_1**: see grammars，e。g。＂外国人实用汉语语法＂复句｜偏正复句｜（三）条件关系（conditional) vs。（四）假设关系（hypothetical)（三）一个分句（偏句）提出条件，另一个分句（正句）说明在这条件下产生的结果。例如：不管前排后排的话，你都替我买一张。只要是星期天，我就有时间。只有努力工作，才不辜负人民的培养。我一感冒，就发烧。（四）一个分句（偏句）提出一个假设的情况，另一个分句（正句）说明由假设情况产生的结果或推论。例如：要是你门有兴趣，我就陪你们去公园。大家如果有意见，就提出来。即使我病了，也一定参加这次大型的演出活动。便正复句中常用的关联词，列入如下：条件关系：不管。。。，都（也）。。。｜不论。。。，都（也）。。。｜无论。。。，都（也）。。。｜只要。。。，就。。。｜只有。。。，才。。。｜除非。。。｜才。。。｜一。。。，就。。。｜假设关系：要是。。。，就。。。｜如果。。。，就。。。｜假如。。。｜就。。。｜假使。。。，就。。。 Also search web using "英语虚拟语气怎么翻译" and  "how to translate subjunctive into Chinese"-> e.g.http://www.academypublication.com/issues/past/tpls/vol02/01/26.pdf  
> **username_0**: @username_1 the link is helpful, because the pdf is in English. Explanations that are only in Chinese, tend to be too difficult for me.  
> **username_1**: context: OP please provide contexts, which would not distinguish between real and unreal conditions, in following examples, context does tell (more or less) if you have come to the meeting, tell me who was there. if you had come to the meeting, you could tell me who was there. In any case context often does tell.  
> **username_0**: @username_1 good point and helpful example! But there are also many examples, where someone used to thinking in European languages, does not see context. Such as the following dialogue: A: But he would have known about that! B: If he had come to the meatings.  
> **username_0**: @username_1 the problem may well come from the fact I am so used to having this device at my disposal, that I don't think of intelligently rephrasing sentences.  
> **username_0**: @username_1 would it be natural to operate like this: 這件事他原來該知道了！他要是去開會就知道了，只不過他沒去！ In other words, adding information about the irreality?  
> **username_2**: @username_0 have (already) would be more like 已经X | like I (have) already heard you 我已经听到了 vs if you had listened 你要是听了…  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2016-08-03. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

you may consider "倘若", "假如", or "假使"

<http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/cgi-bin/cbdic/gsweb.cgi?o=dcbdic&searchid=Z00000051670>

<http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/cgi-bin/cbdic/gsweb.cgi?o=dcbdic&searchid=Z00000089761>

<http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/cgi-bin/cbdic/gsweb.cgi?o=dcbdic&searchid=Z00000089751>

but, the chinese language is "fuzzy", these terms do not absolutely indicate an untrue condition in the clause; they just merely imply such.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: I would really appreciate an explanation in English (apart from the examples). My Chinese is basic and if I have to translate I only get the basics.  

---

