Conditionals (if sentences)
ሁኔታዊ ዓረፍተ ነገሮች (conditionals)
Sentences with if: facts that are always true, real future possibilities, imagined situations now, and imagined pasts, plus unless, provided, if only and I wish.
The five types in one table
Amharic shows the condition with ካ- or ቢ-: ከመጣ (if he comes, a real possibility) and ቢመጣ (if he came, imagined). English does the same job with tenses. ከ- is close to the first conditional (if + present, will), ቢ- is close to the second (if + past, would). The tense in the if part is one step back from the meaning, so never put will or would in the if part.
In Amharic
አማርኛ ሁኔታን በ ካ- ወይም በ ቢ- ያሳያል፦ ከመጣ (ሊሆን የሚችል) እና ቢመጣ (የታሰበ)። እንግሊዝኛ ይህንኑ ሥራ በጊዜያት ይሠራል። ከ- ለመጀመሪያው ሁኔታዊ (if + present, will) ይቀርባል፤ ቢ- ለሁለተኛው (if + past, would) ይቀርባል። በ if ክፍል ያለው ጊዜ ከትርጉሙ አንድ ደረጃ ወደ ኋላ ነው፤ ስለዚህ በ if ክፍል will ወይም would አያስገቡ።
| Type | if part | Result part | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| zero | if + present | present | always true, facts | If you heat ice, it melts. |
| first | if + present | will + base verb | a real possibility in the future | If it rains, I'll take the bus. |
| second | if + past | would + base verb | imagined, now or future | If I had a car, I would drive to work. |
| third | if + had + past participle | would have + past participle | an imagined past | If I had left earlier, I would have caught the bus. |
| mixed | if + had + past participle | would + base verb | a past cause, a result now | If I had studied nursing, I would be a nurse now. |
- No will or would in the if part: If it rains (not If it will rain).
- Put a comma when the if part comes first: If you call, I'll answer. No comma when it comes second: I'll answer if you call.
- when is for things that will surely happen; if is for things that may happen: When I get home, I'll call you.
- If you don't pay the bill on time, they charge a late fee.
- If the landlord fixes the heater, we'll stay another year.
- If I spoke better English, I would apply for a manager job.
- If we had known about the sale, we would have waited.
- If I hadn't moved to Las Vegas, I wouldn't know my wife.
Second, third and mixed: the imagined ones
The second conditional uses a past tense but talks about now or the future: If I had more time (I don't), I would take a class. Use were for every person in careful English and in advice: If I were you, I'd ask for a raise. The third conditional imagines a different past and is often used for regrets. The mixed conditional joins a past cause to a present result.
In Amharic
ሁለተኛው ሁኔታዊ የኀላፊ ጊዜ ይጠቀማል፣ ግን ስለ አሁን ወይም ስለ ወደፊት ይናገራል፦ If I had more time (የለኝም)፣ I would take a class። በጥንቃቄ በሚጻፍ እንግሊዝኛና በምክር ለሁሉም ሰው were ይጠቀሙ፦ If I were you, I'd ask for a raise። ሦስተኛው ሁኔታዊ የተለየ ያለፈን ያስባል፤ ብዙ ጊዜ ለቁጭት ይውላል። ቅይጡ ሁኔታዊ ያለፈን ምክንያት ከአሁኑ ውጤት ጋር ያገናኛል።
| Real situation | Conditional |
|---|---|
| I don't have a car, so I take the bus. | If I had a car, I wouldn't take the bus. (second) |
| I'm not you, but here is my advice. | If I were you, I would call the bank. (second) |
| I missed the bus, so I was late. | If I hadn't missed the bus, I wouldn't have been late. (third) |
| I didn't learn to drive, so I can't drive now. | If I had learned to drive, I could drive now. (mixed) |
- would can be shortened to 'd: I'd go. had can also be 'd: If I'd known. Look at the next word: 'd + base verb = would, 'd + past participle = had.
- could and might can replace would: If I had a car, I could visit you more.
- If I was you is common in speech, but If I were you is safer in writing.
- If I lived closer to work, I would walk every day.
- If I were you, I would read the lease before signing.
- If she had saved the receipt, the store would have given her a refund.
- If they had bought the house in 2015, they would be rich now.
unless, provided, if only, I wish
Other words also make conditions. unless means if not. provided (that) and as long as mean only if. I wish and if only show that you want things to be different: with the past for now, with the past perfect for the past, and with would to complain about what someone else keeps doing.
In Amharic
ሌሎች ቃላትም ሁኔታ ይሠራሉ። unless ማለት if not ነው። provided (that) እና as long as ማለት only if (ብቻ ከሆነ) ነው። I wish እና if only ነገሮች ቢለያዩ እንደሚመኙ ያሳያሉ፦ ስለ አሁን ከኀላፊ ጋር፣ ስላለፈው ከ past perfect ጋር፣ ሌላ ሰው ስለሚደጋግመው ነገር ለማማረር ደግሞ ከ would ጋር።
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| unless | if not | Unless you hurry, you'll miss the bus. |
| provided (that) / as long as | only if | You can borrow my car provided you bring it back by six. |
| in case | because it might happen | Take an umbrella in case it rains. |
| I wish / If only + past | I want now to be different | I wish I had a bigger apartment. |
| I wish / If only + past perfect | I regret the past | If only I had listened to my mother! |
| I wish + would | a complaint about someone else | I wish my neighbour would turn the music down. |
- unless already has not in it: Unless you call (not Unless you don't call).
- I wish + could for ability now: I wish I could drive.
- Don't use I wish + would about yourself: I wish I had (not I wish I would have) more time.
- The store won't take it back unless you have the receipt.
- You can stay with us as long as you need.
- I wish I knew more people in this city.
- If only I had applied for that job last year.
- I wish the kids would put their shoes away.
Common mistakes
| Mistake | Correct | Why |
|---|---|---|
| If it rains, I will stay home. | No will in the if part; use the present. | |
| If I had money, I would buy a car. | Second conditional: if + past, not would. | |
| If I had known, I would have called. | Third conditional: if + had + past participle. | |
| Unless you hurry, you will be late. | unless already means if not; no second not. | |
| I wish I had a bigger apartment. | I wish about now takes the past. | |
| If I were you, I would ask the manager. | Advice uses the second conditional: If I were you, I would… |
Practice
Each answer is checked as you go, with the reason. Nothing here is saved.
If you heat water to 100°C, it ___.
If it ___ (rain) tomorrow, we'll cancel the picnic.
If I won the lottery, I ___ a house for my parents.
If I ___ (be) you, I would call the landlord today.
If she had left earlier, she ___ the bus.
___ you hurry, you'll miss the train. (= if you don't hurry, one word)
I wish I ___ drive. Then I could get a better job.
If I had studied English as a child, I ___ better now.
If only I ___ (know) about the deadline last week! (two words)
You can borrow my car ___ you bring it back by six.
If I see Abel, I ___ tell him. (one word)