"If" in Moroccan Darija: Conditional Sentences

Darija uses ila for real conditions ("if it rains") and kun for imagined ones ("if I were rich").

Real conditions: ila + past

After ila, use the past tense, even when you're talking about the future. The result usually uses ghadi or a command.

• إلا جات، غادي نقولهاila jat, ghadi nqulhaIf she comes, I'll tell her.
• إلا عندك الوقت، أجيila 3ndek l-weqt, ajiIf you have time, come over.
• إلا ما جاش، عيط لياila ma jash, 3eyyet liyaIf he doesn't come, call me.

Imagined conditions: kun … kun

For something unreal, or something that didn't happen, put kun at the start of both halves:

• كون كنت عرفت، كون قلتها ليكkun kont 3reft, kun qoltha likIf I had known, I would have told you.
• كون كان عندي الفلوس، كون شريتهاkun kan 3ndi l-flus, kun shrithaIf I'd had the money, I would have bought it.

Useful combinations

• واخاwakhaeven if; OK
• إلا ماila maunless, if not
• إلا بغيتيila bghitiplease (literally "if you want")