Sentence pattern · Band 3

只要……就……: as long as

Q: What is the most common mistake?

只要努力，才能学好。 → 只要努力，就能学好。. 才 pairs with the strict door 只有 while 只要 pairs with the easy one 就.

只要 A，就 B

只要 opens the easy door: this one condition is enough, and 就 points at the prize. As long as you work at it, you will learn it well. Compare the strict door on the next page, where 只有 and 才 demand the one and only path. Easy door takes 就; only door takes 才.

Hear it in a sentence

只要努力，就能学好。Zhǐyào nǔlì, jiù néng xué hǎo.As long as you work hard, you can learn it well.

只要你有时间，我们就一起去。Zhǐyào nǐ yǒushí jiān, wǒmen jiù yìqǐ qù.As long as you have time, we will go together.

只要天气好，我们就去公园。Zhǐyào tiānqì hǎo, wǒmen jiù qù gōngyuán.As long as the weather is good, we will go to the park.

只要我有时间，就来找你，好吗？Zhǐyào wǒ yǒushí jiān, jiù lái zhǎo nǐ, hǎo ma?Whenever I have time I will come find you, okay?

Mistakes people make

Not this只要努力，才能学好。Zhǐyào nǔlì, cáinéng xué hǎo.Say this只要努力，就能学好。Zhǐyào nǔlì, jiù néng xué hǎo.

才 pairs with the strict door 只有 while 只要 pairs with the easy one 就.

Not this只要你努力，就我教你。Zhǐyào nǐ nǔlì, jiù wǒ jiāo nǐ.Say this只要你努力，我就教你。Zhǐyào nǐ nǔlì, wǒ jiù jiāo nǐ.

就 stands after the subject and before the verb; it never shoves the person aside.

Words in this pattern

只要zhǐyào 就jiù

Quick answers

What does 只要……就…… mean?

How do you build it?

只要 A，就 B

What is the most common mistake?

只要努力，才能学好。 → 只要努力，就能学好。

才 pairs with the strict door 只有 while 只要 pairs with the easy one 就.

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