What if!

The word IF

The word "If" is one of the little words, or particles that a learner of a second language find interesting to learn, because at some point they desperately need it to make a perfect sentence, especially that it's a bit frustrating when you make a fine sentence in a foreign language but you miss just a particle.

There are two uses for the word "if" in Levantine, which are إذا and لَو.

The word "إذا" Is more conditional and implies possibilities. Things are changeable.

حاكيني إذا فينَك.

call me if you could.

إذا حَدا سَأَل عَنّي قّلو يِتِّصِلْ فيني.

If anyone asks about me tell them to call me.

هَلَّئ مَطَر, بس إذا زَبَط الْجَو مْنِطْلَع مْنِرْكُد.

It’s raining now, but if the weather gets better we’ll go out jogging.

The word “لو” is used with wishing, and actions that already happened and cannot be changed.

كِنْت حاكيتني لَو كان فينَك.

you would have called me if you could.

لَو حَدا سَأَل عَنَّك كِنت خَبَّرْتَك.

If anyone had asked about you, I would've told you.

لَو كان الْجَو حِلو, كِنّا طْلِعْنا ركَدْنا.

If the weather were nice, we’d have gone jogging.