B1Unit 9 · Feelings and opinions · Lesson 85 of 100
If only: law
law ʿindi malyōn shēkel, kunt … · law kunt makānak · aḥsanlak · ya rēt
Goal: Talk about imaginary situations with law, say what you would do, give friendly advice and make a wish.
Dialogue
On the roof one autumn evening, the friends play a game: what would you do with a million shekels? You will learn law "if" for things that are not real, kān + perfect for "would", and friendly advice with law kunt makānak and aḥsanlak.
An autumn evening on the roof of the Khalil house. Lina, Sam, Rana and Nour are drinking tea and playing a game.
- Ranayalla nilʿab! law ʿindak malyōn shēkel, ya Sām, shu kunt ʿmilt?Let's play a game! If you had a million shekels, Sam, what would you do?
- Samlaw ʿindi malyōn shēkel, kunt ishtarēt jazīre zghīre fil-baḥr!If I had a million shekels, I would buy a little island in the sea!
- Nourjazīre? malyōn shēkel mish kāfi la-jazīre, ya Sām!An island? A million shekels isn't enough for an island, Sam!
- Samṭayyib, bēt ʿal-baḥr. w inti, ya Nūr?OK, a house by the sea. And you, Nour?
- Nourana kunt sāfart la-Tshīli ʿashān ashūf ʾarāybi.I would travel to Chile to see my relatives.
- Ranaw inti, ya Līna?And you, Lina?
- Linaana kunt ishtarēt bēt zghīr fi Rāmalla, w kunt tbarraʿt bi-nuṣṣ il-maṣāri.I would buy a little house in Ramallah, and I would give half the money to charity.
- Nourya rēt kull in-nās zayyik!If only everyone were like you!
- Samw inti, ya Rana?And you, Rana?
- Ranaana? law kunt ghaniyye, kunt nimt la-ḥadd iḍ-ḍuhr!Me? If I were rich, I would sleep until noon!
- Linaw il-imtiḥānāt? aḥsanlik tudrosi, ya ḥabībti!And the exams? You'd better study, my dear!
- Ranaʿārfe, ʿārfe… lawla l-imtiḥānāt, kānat il-ḥayā ḥilwe ktīr!I know, I know… If it weren't for exams, life would be very sweet!
- Nourw law kunt makānik, kunt ballasht adros min hallaʾ!And if I were you, I would start studying right now!
- Linaana bass batmanna arjaʿ la-Rāmalla kull sane.All I wish for is to come back to Ramallah every year.
New words
| Palestinian Arabic | English |
|---|---|
| law | if (imaginary)law kunt makānak = if I were you |
| lawla | if it weren't forlawla l-imtiḥānāt … = if it weren't for the exams … |
| ya rēt | I wish, if onlyya rēt! alone = I wish! |
| malyōn | millionpl. malāyīn; malyōn shēkel |
| ghani | richf. ghaniyye |
| faʾīr | poorf. faʾīre, pl. fuʾara |
| makān | placepl. amāken; makānak = your place (to a man) |
| aḥsanlak | you'd better (+ present without b-; to a man)to a woman: aḥsanlik |
| tmanna | to wish, hopetmanna / yitmanna; b-present batmanna |
| jazīre | islandpl. juzur |
| tbarraʿ | to donate, give (to charity)tbarraʿ / yitbarraʿ; b-present batbarraʿ |
| baḥr | seapl. bḥūr; ʿal-baḥr = by the sea |
Grammar
1. law: "if" for what is not real
iza (lesson 84) is for things that can really happen. law is for things that are not true or not likely: "if I had…", "if I were…". After law comes a perfect or a word of state: law ʿindi …, law kunt ….
In the result, put kān in the right person before a perfect. kunt ishtarēt means "I would buy", or "I would have bought".
| Person | kān + perfect | English |
|---|---|---|
| ana | kunt sāfart | I would travel |
| inte | kunt sāfart | you would travel (to a man) |
| inti | kunti sāfarti | you would travel (to a woman) |
| huwwe | kān sāfar | he would travel |
| hiyye | kānat sāfarat | she would travel |
| iḥna | kunna sāfarna | we would travel |
With an adjective, kān alone is enough: kānat il-ḥayā ḥilwe "life would be sweet".
2. Advice: law kunt makānak and aḥsanlak
law kunt makānak "if I were you" (literally "if I were in your place"; to a woman makānik) gives advice gently. Shorter: aḥsanlak "you'd better" (to a woman aḥsanlik) + the present without b-.
3. Wishes
ya rēt "if only, I wish": ya rēt ʿindi waʾt! "If only I had time!" lawla "if it weren't for": lawla Rana, kunt zahʾāne "if it weren't for Rana, I would be bored". tmanna "to wish, hope": batmanna arjaʿ "I hope to come back".
Practice
1Complete the sentence
law ʿindi malyōn shēkel, ___ bēt. = If I had a million shekels, I would buy a house.
With law, the result takes kān + perfect in the right person; raḥ is for real plans.
___ kunt makānak, kunt rawwaḥt. = If I were you, I would go home.
___ tnām bakkīr. = You'd better go to bed early. (to a man)
___ ʿindi waʾt! = If only I had time!
2Choose the right answer
Which sentence is about something imaginary, not real?
Lina says: "If it weren't for Rana, I would be bored."
The opposite of ghani "rich" is:
ghāli and rkhīṣ are about prices: expensive and cheap.
In the game, Nour would travel to:
3Match the Arabic and the English
law
ya rēt
makān
baḥr
jazīre
malyōn
4Put the words in order
If I were you, I would study. (to a woman)
You'd better go to bed early. (to a woman)
5Say it in Palestinian Arabic, then check
If he had time, he would come.
law ʿindo waʾt, kān ija.
I hope to come back to Ramallah.
batmanna arjaʿ la-Rāmalla.
6True or false?
Sam would buy an island.
Lina would keep all the money for herself.
She says kunt tbarraʿt bi-nuṣṣ il-maṣāri.
Rana would sleep until noon.
Summary
- You can imagine with law: law ʿindi malyōn shēkel, kunt ishtarēt bēt.
- You can say "would" with kān + perfect: kunt sāfart, kān ija.
- You can give advice: law kunt makānak …, aḥsanlak tnām bakkīr.
- You can make wishes with ya rēt and batmanna, and say lawla … "if it weren't for …".