The difference between thì and là
Both thì and là can be used in similar ways to mean "if...then". According to my understanding, the difference is that thì can be understood as an abbreviated form of nếu...thì. On the other hand, là is a short form of cứ...là. The former is the standard way to say "if...then", while the latter means something more along the lines of "every time (something happens) (something else also happens)". So, thì is more likely to be a specific case, while là is more general. These short forms often appear in short sentences, sometimes just connecting two verbs. If I'm not mistaken, là can also mean "as soon as" (see the last example).
Examples
Thích thì ăn đi!
If you like it, eat it!
If you like it, eat it!
Hứng lên là xách xe đi luôn
Every time I feel like it, I hop on my bike and go (traveling)
Every time I feel like it, I hop on my bike and go (traveling)
Thích là lấy
If I like (someone), I will get married straight away
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