如果 vs 要是

[LiYiSh]

So can anyone explain the difference between these two and which situations to use them in? 

 

I've asked around and some people have said they were interchangeable, but I'm still not completely sure. 

 

Help is appreciated, thanks!

[Geiko]

Maybe these old topics can help you:

 

要是 and 如果 - What's the difference?

 

只要 vs 如果/要是

 

 

[xiaokaka]

The meaning of 如果 and 要是 is exactly the same; the usage when spoken is quite similar with 如果 being a bit more formal, I think the frequency depends on mostly were you are in China. For example, in Shanghai 如果 is much more common than 要是.

In written language 如果 or even more formal variants (like 假若, 假使 or 假如) are used.

[davoosh]

On one of those old threads, somebody wrote that 要是 doesn't sound as ‘friendly' as 如果.

 

My impression (which may be wrong) is that 要是 is used more when the 'if' sentence is used as a kind of warning:

 

E.g. "你要是不聽話，我就瞅瞅你的耳朵．"　I think '要是' would be more typical here than 如果. Maybe a native speaker can confirm?

[muhaha]

Davoosh,

you are right about the difference btween 要是 and 如果. 

如果 is moderate in most cases. Just use 如果 in any case if you could not distinguish these two.