Learn Hardcore Chinese: rúguǒ tā bù lái, wǒmen jiù míngtiān zài qù. - If she doesn’t come, we’ll go again tomorrow.

就 marks the natural/quick consequence: “then/in that case.” In the pattern 如果…就…, it ties the condition to the result. You can omit it and the sentence is still correct: 她不来，我们明天再去. With 就, the link feels tighter and a bit more decisive.

Does 再 (zài) mean “again” here, or “later/instead”?

Here 再 means “at another time/later,” often translating as “instead/another time.” It doesn’t have to imply you’ve already gone once; it can simply mean “we’ll postpone it.” Compare:

我们明天去 = We’ll go tomorrow (neutral).
我们明天再去 = We’ll go tomorrow instead/at another time (postponing).

Why is the order 明天再去? Could I say 再明天去 or 再去明天?

The natural order is time word before the verb and 再 directly before the verb: 明天再去. 再 modifies the verb and likes to sit right in front of it. 再明天去 and 再去明天 are ungrammatical in this sense.

Can I drop 如果 or 就?

Yes. All of these are fine (slightly different nuance/formality):

她不来，我们明天再去。
如果她不来，我们明天再去。
她不来，我们就明天再去。
要是她不来，我们就明天再去。
她不来的话，我们就明天再去。 Dropping 就 keeps the meaning, just a touch less pointed.

Do I need 会 (huì) to mark the future, like 我们明天会再去?

No. Chinese doesn’t require a future marker; 明天 already places it in the future. 会 adds a sense of prediction/likelihood or plan: 我们明天会再去 is fine but not necessary. Don’t put 会 after 就; put it after the subject if you use it: 我们明天会再去.

Why is it 不 (bù) 来 and not 没 (méi) 来?

Use 不 to negate a present/future action, habit, or decision: 她不来 = “She isn’t coming / won’t come (as a decision).” 没 negates a completed occurrence: 她没来 = “She didn’t come (in the past/at that time).” In a conditional about a plan, 不 fits best.

What’s the difference between 她不来, 她不来了, and 她不会来?

她不来: She isn’t coming (simple decision/state).
她不来了: She isn’t coming anymore (change of plan/state; the 了 marks a shift).
她不会来: She won’t come (prediction or certainty; sometimes implies “there’s no way she’ll come”).

Could I use 到 (dào) instead of 来, like 她不到?

Not as a standalone. 到 means “arrive at/reach” and needs a complement: 她到不了这儿 (she can’t make it here), 她不到场 (she won’t be present). 她不来 is the natural way to say “she isn’t coming.”

Do I need to specify a destination after 去?

Only if it’s not already clear from context. Chinese can omit obvious information, so 我们…再去 is fine if the place is understood. If you need to be explicit, add it: 我们就明天再去博物馆。

What’s the difference between 再 and 又?

再: repetition or continuation in the future/next time. Example: 明天再来 (come again tomorrow).
又: repetition that has (already) happened again, typically past or current. Example: 她今天又没来 (she didn’t come again today). Also, 再也不… means “never again”: 我们再也不去了 (we’ll never go again).

Can I add 吧 or 那 for tone?

Yes. 吧 softens it into a suggestion: 我们明天再去吧 (let’s just go tomorrow). 那 (“in that case/then”) often introduces the result clause: 那我们明天再去吧. You can combine with 就: 那我们就明天再去吧 for a decisive, yet polite, plan.

Are there other ways to phrase the “if” part?

Common colloquial options:

要是她不来，我们就明天再去。
她不来的话，我们就明天再去。 More formal: 如果她不来，我们就明天再去。 You can also flip to an “otherwise” structure in a broader context: 她不来，那我们明天再去；否则我们今天就去。

What changes if I move 就 around, like 我们明天就去 or 我们就明天去?

我们明天就去: “We’ll go as early as tomorrow” (emphasizes the earliness/quickness).
我们就明天去: “Then let’s go tomorrow (and not another day)” (emphasizes the choice of tomorrow as the result).
我们明天就再去: “We’ll (already) go again as early as tomorrow” (marked; implies there was or will be another trip). In your sentence, 我们就明天再去 highlights the result: “then we’ll go another time—tomorrow.”

Why is there a comma between the two parts?

Chinese typically uses a comma to separate the conditional clause and the result clause. You’d pause slightly when speaking: 如果她不来，｜我们就明天再去。 The comma marks that logical boundary.

Is it okay to use 再 if we’ve never gone before?

Yes. In suggestions like this, 再 often means “at another time/instead” and doesn’t require a prior occurrence. If you want to avoid any hint of repetition, you can say 我们就明天去 or 我们改天去/换一天去.