joek6 jin4 zi1若然之

Jyutpingjoek6 jin4 zi1

Yaleyeuhk yìhn jī

Definition

If; in the event that.

colloquialcommunication

How it's used

This phrase functions as a cohesive device to link a previous statement to a logical consequence. It carries a slightly more deliberate or emphatic tone than simply using 咁樣講. It is most frequently used at the start of a sentence to pivot the conversation based on the information just provided by the interlocutor.

Examples

joek6若jin4然zi1之，nei5你mai1咪ci4遲di1啲sin1先heoi3去lo3囉。

If that's the case, you might as well go a bit later.

joek6若jin4然zi1之，dim2點gaai2解nei5你m4唔zou2早di1啲gong2講aa4呀？

If that's the case, why didn't you say so earlier?

Common phrases

joek6若jin4然zi1之，gam3咁dim2點le1呢

If that's the case, then what?

Common mistake

Learners often confuse this with the formal written conjunction 若然, which means 'if'. In spoken Cantonese, 若然之 is a fixed phrase acting as a discourse marker meaning 'if that is the situation', rather than a conditional 'if' used to introduce a hypothetical clause.