要是 and 如果 - What's' the difference?

[in_lab]

Inspired by the "danshi or keshi" thread, I wanted to ask about the difference between 要是 and 如果 for "if." When I was in Chinese class, we learned 要是 first, and didn't learn 如果 for about three months. However, it seems that 如果 is much more common in daily speech. But when I pronounce "ruguo" I have a tendency to stutter on the first syllable, so I asked a friend, can't I just give up saying "ruguo" and switch to "yaoshi"? My friend said no, but I don't understand why. Does "yaoshi" sound old-fashioned or strange?

[magietao]

hi,in_lab

I think '如果' is always in the sentence like '如果……就','要是' is in '要是……那么（就）'

for example:

如果你听懂了，你就点点头。

if you use '要是',

for example:

要是你听懂了，那么你（就）点点头。

Hope it helps.

[charlescpp]

I will say 你要是听懂了，就点点头.

如果 is more officail, i think. I seldom use 如果 in daily speech.

So write 如果 and say 要是.

[amazingdido]

something else:

要是 is usually used in oral but on occasion it is somewhat offensive and threatening,for example:

要是你还不停止哭闹，今天晚上就别吃饭了

要是 is stronger than 如果.

[Roee]

在台湾平常听到了“要是“。 在上海一般来说人人都用“如果”。在北京呢？

[amazingdido]

我觉得在北京比较少听到“要是”，大多数时候都是“如果”，我总是觉得“要是”有点那么不太友好

[in_lab]

Thanks for the interesting comments. Maybe I'll try using yaoshi more, and listen more closely to what other people say.

[magietao]

When I review this post I suddenly suppose other opinion maybe it is impossible

On pronouncing 要是 sound like 要死？Have you heard from other friends talk about this?Perhaps if you say 要是 always puzzle your friends?

good lucky.