"If" in Modern Standard Arabic: Conditional Sentences

Fusha has three common words for "if": idhaa and in for real conditions, and law for imagined ones.

Real conditions: idhaa + past

idhaa is the most common "if". It's followed by the past tense, even for the future:

• إذا جاءتْ، سأخبرُهاidhaa jaa2at, sa-ukhbiruhaaIf she comes, I will tell her.
• إذا كان عندك وقتٌ، تعالَidhaa kaana 3indaka waqtun, ta3aalaIf you have time, come.

When the second half isn't a simple past verb (a future, a command, a noun sentence), it starts with fa-:

• إذا درستَ فستنجحُidhaa darasta fa-sa-tanja7uIf you study, you will succeed.

in: formal and literary

in is more formal. It takes the past or the jussive in both halves:

• إنْ تدرسْ تنجحْin tadrus tanja7If you study, you will succeed.

Imagined conditions: law … la-

For unreal or past conditions, use law + past, and start the result with la-:

• لو كنتُ أعرفُ لقلتُ لكlaw kuntu a3rifu la-qultu lakaIf I had known, I would have told you.
• لو كان معي مالٌ لاشتريتُهlaw kaana ma3ii maalun la-shtaraytuhuIf I had had money, I would have bought it.

Useful combinations

• حتى لو7attaa laweven if
• إلا إذاillaa idhaaunless
• لولاlawlaaif it weren't for