Writing
的话 (de huà) — how to say "if" in Chinese
的话
If
particle
Character composition
possessive particle
speech
Radicals / Keys
White
#106 · bái · 5 strokes
Speech
#149 · yán · 7 strokes
Synonyms
Examples
如果你有时间的话,我们可以一起吃饭。
If you have time, we can eat together.
如果这样的话,我就去。
If so, I will go.
Mnemonic

[de huà-] De, a little gnome, says, "If it rains — 的话, I will stay home." He puts 的话 after the condition and smiles. 🧙♂️☔
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Frequently asked questions
How do you say "if" in Chinese?
"if" in Chinese is 的话 (de huà).
的话 meaning in English
的话 (de huà) means "If".
How is 的话 pronounced?
It is pronounced de huà (written as de hua, dehua). You can listen to the pronunciation on this page.
How do you write "if" in Chinese characters?
It is written 的话: 的 has 8 strokes, 话 has 8 strokes. The Writing section above animates the stroke order of each character and lets you trace it.
What HSK 3.0 level is 的话?
的话 is on the HSK 3.0 level 3 word list. It is not part of the six-level HSK 2.0 lists.
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