B1Unit 9 · Feelings and opinions · Lesson 84 of 100
If: iza
iza shattat, mish raḥ niṭlaʿ · iza biddo yīji · izan · lakān
Goal: Talk about things that may really happen with iza "if", and say what follows.
Dialogue
Tomorrow is Friday, and the family wants to go on a picnic in the woods, if the weather is good. You will learn iza "if" for real possibilities, with the perfect, and how to say what will happen then.
Thursday evening in October. The family plans an outing for Friday, the day off.
- Ranabukra l-jumʿa, w kullna fāḍyīn. shu raʾyik bi-mishwār, yamma?Tomorrow is Friday, and we're all free. What do you think of an outing, Mom?
- Imm Khalilḥasab il-jaww. iza shattat, mish raḥ niṭlaʿ.It depends on the weather. If it rains, we won't go out.
- Khalilshuft il-jaww ʿal-jawwāl: bukra fī shams.I checked the weather on my phone: tomorrow there will be sun.
- Ranaizan binrūḥ ʿal-ḥursh!Then we go to the woods!
- Linaw iza ṣār bard?And if it gets cold?
- Imm Khaliliza ṣār bard, bnākhod ḥrāmāt w jākētāt, w bajīb ʾahwe sukhne ʿashān tdaffīna.If it gets cold, we'll take blankets and jackets, and I'll bring hot coffee to warm us up.
- Ranaw bnufrosh ḥrām ʿal-arḍ taḥt ish-shajar w bnākol.And we'll spread a blanket on the ground under the trees and eat.
- Khalilw ana bajīb il-faḥm w il-laḥme.And I'll bring the charcoal and the meat.
- Linamumkin aʿzim Sām?Can I invite Sam?
- Imm Khalilakīd! iza biddo yīji, ahla w sahla.Of course! If he wants to come, he's welcome.
- RanaSām biḥibb iṭ-ṭabīʿa, w fil-ḥursh fī ṭyūr w ḥaywānāt ktīr.Sam loves nature, and in the woods there are lots of birds and animals.
- Khalilbass iza tʾakhkhar, binrūḥ bidūno!But if he's late, we'll go without him!
- Linalakān baʾullo yīji bakkīr!Then I'll tell him to come early!
New words
| Palestinian Arabic | English |
|---|---|
| iza | if; whetheriza btīji = if you come |
| izan | so, then, in that case |
| faḥm | charcoal, coal |
| arḍ | ground, floor; landfeminine; pl. arāḍi |
| ḥursh | wood, forestpl. aḥrāsh |
| ḥasab | depending on; it dependsḥasab il-jaww = it depends on the weather |
| bardān | cold (feeling cold)f. bardāne, pl. bardānīn |
| dafyān | warm (feeling warm)f. dafyāne |
| daffa | to warm up; to keep warmdaffa / ydaffi; b-present badaffi |
| farash | to spread out, lay out; to furnishfarash / yufrosh; b-present bafrosh |
| ʿaṣfūr | small birdpl. ʿaṣāfīr |
| ḥaywān | animalpl. ḥaywānāt |
| ṭīr | birdpl. ṭyūr |
| lakān | so, then, in that case |
Grammar
1. iza + perfect: "if" for real possibilities
For something that may really happen, use iza with the perfect. Here the perfect does not mean the past: iza shattat is "if it rains", tomorrow or any time.
2. iza + a state or the b-present
With biddi, ʿindi, fī, an adjective or a participle, nothing changes after iza. For a habit or something already going on, use the b-present: iza btīji "if you come", iza btiḥki ʿarabi "if you speak Arabic".
3. The result
The second half says what follows. It can be the b-present (binrūḥ), the future with raḥ (mish raḥ niṭlaʿ) or an order (taʿāl!, khudi!).
| If … | then … |
|---|---|
| iza shattat | binḍall fil-bēt. we'll stay at home. |
| iza fī shams | binrūḥ ʿal-ḥursh. we'll go to the woods. |
| iza inte taʿbān | nām shwayy! sleep a little! |
izan and lakān "so, then, in that case" can start the result, or start your answer to someone: izan binrūḥ ʿal-ḥursh! And when the answer is "it depends", say ḥasab …: ḥasab il-jaww.
Practice
1Complete the sentence
___ shattat, mish raḥ niṭlaʿ. = If it rains, we won't go out.
iza ___ yīji, ahla w sahla. = If he wants to come, he's welcome.
iza tʾakhkhar Sām, binrūḥ ___. = If Sam is late, we'll go without him.
iza inti ___, khudi jākēt. = If you're cold, take a jacket. (to a woman)
dafyāne means "warm": then you don't need a jacket.
2Choose the right answer
"If it rains tomorrow, we won't go."
In iza shattat bukra, mish raḥ niṭlaʿ, the verb shattat is about:
After iza, the perfect talks about a possible event, not the past.
izan means:
Imm Khalil answers ḥasab il-jaww. She means:
3Match the Arabic and the English
ḥursh
ṭīr
ʿaṣfūr
ḥaywān
faḥm
arḍ
4Put the words in order
If you're free, come with us! (to a man)
We spread the blanket on the ground.
5Say it in Palestinian Arabic, then check
If he's late, we'll go without him.
iza tʾakhkhar, binrūḥ bidūno.
If you want, I'll bring the charcoal. (to a woman)
iza biddik, bajīb il-faḥm.
6True or false?
Imm Khalil says that it depends on the weather.
Khalil will bring the blankets.
Khalil brings the charcoal and the meat; Imm Khalil talks about the blankets.
Lina will tell Sam to come early.
Summary
- You can say "if" for real possibilities: iza shattat, mish raḥ niṭlaʿ.
- You know that the perfect after iza is not the past: iza tʾakhkhar "if he is late".
- You can use iza with a state or the b-present: iza biddo yīji, iza inte fāḍi, iza btīji.
- You can answer izan …, lakān … "then …" and ḥasab il-jaww "it depends on the weather".