Build a conditional reading
若, 如, and 苟 can introduce a supposition or condition. The same graphs have other uses, including comparison. Read the complete two-part structure before deciding.
若 · 如 · 苟
A reading procedure
- Locate the proposed situation.
- Find its consequence, sometimes introduced by 則.
- Distinguish a condition from “be like” or another lexical use.
An unmarked initial clause may also function conditionally. Not every 若 means “if”.
Compare
Search finds spelling; it does not automatically label every occurrence with this construction.
zimai · AI-assisted editorial notes · Editorial pilot · not independently reviewed. CC BY-SA 4.0.
Evidence and further study
Linked passages below provide the primary-text evidence for these editorial examples. The readings are not borrowed from, or endorsed by, the further-study references.
Kanseki Repository · pinned primary text witnesses
Textual evidence. Individual examples link to exact source files and lines.
Edwin G. Pulleyblank · Outline of Classical Chinese Grammar
Further study: word order, predication, nominalization, negation and complex sentences. Book content is not reproduced.
Robert Eno · Introduction to Literary Chinese, Part I
Further study: an academic primer with annotated readings and exercises. Not imported.
Introduction to Classical Chinese · Schonebaum and contributors
Further study: function words and reading lessons. CC BY-NC-SA material is not imported into this dataset.
Thesaurus Linguae Sericae
Further research: contextual historical senses and syntactic analysis. No TLS annotation import in this release.
2 examples in context
苟為後義而先利
If one puts righteousness behind and profit ahead.
苟 opens a condition. 後 and 先 are used relationally with objects: assigning lower or higher priority. The clause is not merely a statement about chronological order; the contrast concerns political values.
Check your reading · What objects receive the contrasting priorities?
義 and 利.
王如知此，則無望民之多於鄰國也
If the king understands this, he should not expect his people to outnumber those of neighboring states.
如 introduces a condition, 則 its consequence. Within the expected situation, 多於 sets a comparison. The line combines several structures; a simple search for 於 alone cannot identify the complete argument.
Check your reading · What is compared by 多於?
The size of the king’s population with that of neighboring states.