إذا
Arabic
Etymology
Equivalent to a univerbation of إِن (ʔin, “if, introduces protasis”) + ذَا (ḏā, “this, demonstrative pronoun”). A retroactively added protasis may be instead understood by the hearer as a new main clause, therefore “when” became “then”. Like in Latin—well-known—relative pronouns are used as proximal demonstrative pronouns indistinctly: quod erat demonstrandum.
Compare to Hebrew אָז (ʾāz, “so, therefore, then”), Hebrew אַזַי, Aramaic אֱדַיִן (ʾĕḏáyin, “then, at that time”), which may in lack of attestations of conjunctional use instead parallel هٰذَا (hāḏā) however.
Pronunciation 1
- IPA(key): /ʔi.ðaː/
Audio (file)
Conjunction
إِذَا • (ʔiḏā) (+ past or jussive)
- when, when it is that; as soon as; if
- Synonyms: (dated) إِذ (ʔiḏ, “when”), لَمَّا (lammā, “when; once”), حِينَ (ḥīna, “(at) the moment that”)
- إِذَا جِئْتَ فَاتَّصِلْ بِي
- ʔiḏā jiʔta fāttaṣil bī
- As soon as you arrive, call me.
- 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 4:6:
- وَٱبْتَلُوا ٱلْيَتَامَى حَتَّى إِذَا بَلَغُوا ٱلنِّكَاحَ فَإِنْ آنَسْتُم مِّنْهُمْ رُشْدًا فَٱدْفَعُوا إِلَيْهِمْ أَمْوَالَهُمْ وَلَا تَأْكُلُوهَا إِسْرَافًا وَبِدَارًا أَن يَكْبَرُوا وَمَن كَانَ غَنِيًّا فَلْيَسْتَعْفِفْ وَمَن كَانَ فَقِيرًا فَلْيَأْكُلْ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ فَإِذَا دَفَعْتُمْ إِلَيْهِمْ أَمْوَالَهُمْ فَأَشْهِدُوا عَلَيْهِمْ وَكَفَى بِٱللَّهِ حَسِيبًا
- wa-btalū l-yatāmā ḥattā ʔiḏā balaḡū n-nikāḥa fa-ʔin ʔānastum mminhum rušdan fa-dfaʕū ʔilayhim ʔamwālahum wa-lā taʔkulūhā ʔisrāfan wa-bidāran ʔan yakbarū wa-man kāna ḡaniyyan fal-yastaʕfif wa-man kāna faqīran fal-yaʔkul bi-l-maʕrūfi fa-ʔiḏā dafaʕtum ʔilayhim ʔamwālahum fa-ʔašhidū ʕalayhim wa-kafā bi-llahi ḥasīban
- And examine the orphans till they seem able to bear intercourse. If you sense prudence from them, pass their money to them, and do not eat it extravangantly nor hastily before their growing up. Whoever is rich should abstain, and whoever is poor may eat [from it] as is custom. And when you pass them the money, summon someone to be a witness against them. It is Allah who is the Reckoner [and who counts your deeds].
- 1930s, “حُمَاةَ ٱلْحِمَى”, أَبُو ٱلْقَاسِمِ ٱلشَّابِيّ, مُصْطَفَى صَادِق الرَّافِعِي (lyrics), مُحَمَّد عَبْدُ ٱلْوَهَّاب (music):
- إِذَا الشَّعْبُ يَوْمًا أَرَادَ الْحَيَاة / فَلَا بُدَّ أَنْ يَسْتَجِيبَ الْقَدَر
- ʔiḏā aš-šaʕbu yawman ʔarāda l-ḥayā(t) / fa-lā budda ʔan yastajība l-qadar
- When a prideful people wills to live, / Destiny itself will grant their wish.
- (indicates perception, as of a sudden or concurrent action) (with فَ (fa, “then”)) and then, and; thereupon, whereupon; when behold, then behold
- خَرَجْتُ فَإِذَا الْمَطَرُ يَنْهَمِرُ
- ḵarajtu fa-ʔiḏā al-maṭaru yanhamiru
- I went out, and the rain was pouring.
Usage notes
- When iḏā is used as the conditional particle in a conditional clause, it may be followed by a past-tense verb regardless of natural time-reference.
- As a particle of surprise the verb that follows is typically found in the present/non-past tense despite having a past-tense sense; most often used in storytelling or relating events, announcing an event or occurrence that follows after another, a sequence.
Derived terms
- إِذَا مَا (ʔiḏā mā, “when; whenever”)
Pronunciation 2
- IPA(key): /ʔi.ðan/
Alternative forms
- إِذَنْ (ʔiḏan)
References
- Corriente, Federico, Pereira, Christophe, Vicente, Angeles, editors (2017), Dictionnaire du faisceau dialectal arabe andalou. Perspectives phraséologiques et étymologiques (in French), Berlin: De Gruyter, →ISBN, page 21
- “ˀdyn”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–
- “hdn”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–
Egyptian Arabic
Alternative forms
- إزا
Conjunction
إذا • (ʔiza)
Hijazi Arabic
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ʔi.za/, /ʔi.ða/
Conjunction
إذا • (ʔiza, ʔiḏa)
See also
- لو (law, “if (hypothetical)”)
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ʔi.zan/, /ʔi.ðan/
South Levantine Arabic
Conjunction
إذا • (ʔiza)
Usage notes
- إذا (ʔiza) may be followed by a past tense verb referring to a future action.
See also
- لكان (lakān, “so, then, in that case”)
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