Arabic: An Essential Grammar

س ِفي ُرَّ ْس َت َقا َل ل

َل ْو َلا ُه َلا law-la ̄-hu la-staqa ̄la s-safı

• ru.

Were it not for him, the ambassador would have resigned.

َل ْو َل ْم َي ُك ْن ُم ْج َت ِه ًدا َلـ َما َن َج َح^ law-lam yakun mug ̆tahidan la-ma ̄ nag ̆ah

̇

a.

If he had not been industrious, he would not have succeeded.

39.7 All three conditional particles can be followed by the verb َكا َن

ka ̄na, to confirm the perfect tense (past), e.g.

ا ُه ْمƒَل ْو َكا َن َق ْد َأ َ تى َل َر^ law ka ̄na qad

ata ̄ la-ra

a ̄-hum.

If he had come, he would have seen them.

ذِل َك َل َص َد َق

ا

ِإ ْ ن / ِإ َذا َكا َن َق ْد َقا َل^

in /

id

̄

a ̄ ka ̄na qad qa ̄la d

̄

a ̄lika la-s

̇

adaqa.

If he (has) said that, (then) he will keep his word.

39.8 The second part of the conditional sentence may precede the first

part:

َس ُأ َقا ِبُل َك ِإ َذا ُز ْر ُت ِد َم ْش َق sa-

uqa ̄biluka

id

̄

a ̄ zurtu Dimasˇqa.

I will meet you, if I visit Damascus.

ُت َسا ِع ْد ِني ْل َي ْو َمُأ َسا ِع ُد َك َغ ًدا ِإ ْن^

usa ̄



iduka g ̇adan

in tusa ̄



idnı

• l-yawma.

I will help you tomorrow, if you help me today.

39.9 The following interrogative pronouns can be used in generalized

relative clauses with conditional implication. The verb in both parts of

the sentence is then in the imperfect jussive (apocopatus) mood:

Examples:

َم ْن َي ْطُل ْب َي ِج ْد^ man yat

̇

lub yag ̆id. He who seeks, finds.

َم ْه َما َت ْطُل ْب َأ ْد َف ْع^ mahma ̄^ tat

̇

lub

adfa



. Whatever you ask, I will pay.

َأ ْي َن َ ما / َح ْي ُث َما َت ْذ َه ْب َأ ْذ َه ْب^

ayna-ma ̄ / h

̇

ayt

̄

u-ma ̄ tad

̄

hab

ad

̄

hab.

Wherever you go, I will go.

َم ْن man, whoever َم ْه َما mahma ̄, whatever

َأ ْي َن َما^

aynama ̄, wherever َح ْي ُث َما h

̇

ayt

̄

uma ̄, wherever

312

Conditional

sentences