如果说

如果說

rúguǒshuō

conjunction HSK 7

Meanings

1 if we say that...; if (introducing a hypothesis)
2 supposing that

Characters

Literally 'if one says' — softens a hypothesis by framing it as something being said rather than stated as fact.

Examples

如果说以前是生存，那现在是生活。

Rúguǒ shuō yǐqián shì shēngcún, nà xiànzài shì shēnghuó.

If before it was about surviving, then now it's about living.

如果说他有什么缺点，那就是太固执了。

Rúguǒ shuō tā yǒu shénme quēdiǎn, nà jiùshì tài gùzhí le.

If he has any flaw, it's that he's too stubborn.

Tips

grammar

如果说 is used to set up a contrast or comparison, almost always followed by 那/那么 in the second clause. The pattern 如果说 A，那么 B creates a rhetorical 'if...then...' structure that sounds more nuanced and deliberate than plain 如果.

Stroke Order

如 rú

果 guǒ

说 shuō