A 10-Minute Guide for English Speakers
Lesson 1: What Does "既然…就…" Mean?
English Equivalent:
"Since… then…"
"Now that… might as well…"
"Given that… so…"
Function:
Used to show a logical conclusion or decision based on a given fact.
Lesson 2: Structure & Grammar
Basic Formula:
既然 + Fact / Situation , 就 + Suggestion / Decision
Examples:
既然下雨了，就待在家吧。
"Since it’s raining, (we) might as well stay home."
Chinese:
既然下雨了，就待在家吧。
Pinyin:
Jìrán xià yǔ le, jiù dāi zài jiā ba.
English Rewrite:
"Since it’s raining, let’s just stay home."
(Or: "Might as well stay home now that it’s raining.")
Breakdown:
既然 (jìrán) – Since / Now that
下雨了 (xià yǔ le) – It’s raining (了 indicates the change)
就 (jiù) – Then / Might as well
待在家 (dāi zài jiā) – Stay at home
吧 (ba) – Soft suggestion (like "let’s")
Natural Tip: In spoken Chinese, the tone of 吧 (ba) makes it sound more like a gentle suggestion than a command.
既然你累了，就早点休息。
"Now that you’re tired, you should rest early."
Chinese:
既然你累了，就早点休息。
Pinyin:
Jìrán nǐ lèi le, jiù zǎodiǎn xiūxi.
English Rewrite:
"Since you're tired, you should get some rest."
(Or for a softer tone: "You look tired—why don't you rest a bit?")
Breakdown:
既然 (jìrán) – Since / Now that
你累了 (nǐ lèi le) – You’re tired
就 (jiù) – Then / Should
早点 (zǎodiǎn) – Early / Soon
休息 (xiūxi) – Rest
Natural Tip: In English, we often drop "early" unless the timing is important. "Get some rest" sounds more natural than "rest early" in most cases.
既然他不喜欢，就别买了。
"Given that he doesn’t like it, (we) shouldn’t buy it."
Chinese:
既然他不喜欢，就别买了。
Pinyin:
Jìrán tā bù xǐhuan, jiù bié mǎi le.
English Rewrite:
"Since he doesn’t like it, let’s not buy it."
(Or more casually: "If he’s not into it, we can skip it.")
Breakdown:
既然 (jìrán) – Since / Given that
他不喜欢 (tā bù xǐhuan) – He doesn’t like it
就 (jiù) – Then / Might as well
别买了 (bié mǎi le) – Don’t buy it (了 implies the decision is final)
Nuance:
The tone is practical/resigned (not angry).
In spoken Chinese, this structure often implies accepting a situation ("既然...就别..." = "Since X, let’s not Y").
Lesson 3: Key Nuances
Tone: Often implies resignation or acceptance of the situation.
"既然没办法，就试试吧。"
"Since there’s no other way, just try it."
可以省略 (Can be shortened):
"既然…就…" → "…就…" (Casual speech)
"你累了就休息。" ("If you’re tired, then rest.")
Lesson 4: Common Mistakes
❌ Wrong: 既然你喜欢，所以买吧。
✅ Right: 既然你喜欢，就买吧。
(Don’t use "所以" – "就" already implies "so/then.")
❌ Wrong: 既然今天很忙，然后不去了。
✅ Right: 既然今天很忙，就不去了。
(No "然后" – "就" replaces "then.")
Lesson 5: Practice Exercises
Translate these into Chinese using "既然…就…":
"Since you’ve already started, finish it."
→ 既然你开始了，就做完吧。"Now that we’re here, let’s eat."
→ 既然来了，就吃吧。
Email your answers to nihaojodee@gmail.com
Lesson 6: Advanced Usage
Add 那 for Emphasis:
"既然…那就…" = "If that’s the case, then…"
既然你不想去，那就别去了。
"If you don’t want to go, then don’t."
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