Supposing / if… (假使)

Structure 假使/假如 + supposition（的话），+ consequence

假使 (jiǎshǐ) introduces a supposition, often counterfactual ("supposing that…", "had it been…"). It is the more formal variant of 假如 (jiǎrú), which already borders on HSK 4 and is more neutral: 假使 has an essayistic, reflective tone. The condition may be closed with 的话, and the consequence often takes 或许 / 也许 ("perhaps") when an outcome is merely imagined. It is used to picture how things might have turned out: 假使当初听了劝告，结果或许不同 = "had the advice been heeded, the result might have been different".

Examples

假jiǎ使shǐ当dāng初chū听tīng了le劝quàn告gào，结jié果guǒ或huò许xǔ不bù同tóng。
Had the advice been heeded back then, the outcome might have been different.
假jiǎ使shǐ没méi有yǒu这zhè场chǎng变biàn故gù，他tā的de命mìng运yùn恐kǒng怕pà会huì大dà相xiāng径jìng庭tíng。
Had that misfortune not occurred, his fate would surely have been very different.
假jiǎ使shǐ把bǎ这zhè笔bǐ钱qián投tóu入rù研yán发fā的de话huà，公gōng司sī今jīn天tiān或huò许xǔ已yǐ遥yáo遥yáo领lǐng先xiān。
Supposing that money had gone into R&D, the company might be far ahead today.
假jiǎ使shǐ人rén类lèi不bù加jiā节jié制zhì，资zī源yuán终zhōng将jiāng枯kū竭jié。
If humankind shows no restraint, resources will ultimately run dry.

This point and the other 370, with audio on every example, inside Wanyu.

Coming soon to the App Store and Google Play