就
jiù
Expressing "then" with "jiu"
就 links a consequence to what came before — "then, in that case".
Condition, + Subj. + 就 + Verb Phrase
How it works
我们现在有时间,就去吧 — we have time now, so let's go. The 就 sits before the verb of the second clause.
It's the workhorse connector of spoken Chinese, and it pairs with almost every conditional: 如果…就…, 只要…就…, 要是…就….
就 always goes after the subject, never at the start of the clause.
Examples
wǒ men xiàn zài yǒu shí jiān, jiù qù ba
我们现在有时间,就去吧。
We've got time now, so let's go.
nǐ bù xiǎng qù, jiù bié qù
你不想去,就别去。
If you don't want to go, then don't.
chī wán fàn wǒ men jiù zǒu
吃完饭我们就走。
We'll leave as soon as we've eaten.