if
Part of speech: conj
noun
Morphological type: simple
Topics: computing
engineering
mathematics
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
sciences
Etymology: From Middle English if, yif, yef, from Old English ġif (“if”), from Proto-West Germanic *jabu, *jabē, from Proto-Germanic *jabai (“when, if”). Cognate with Scots gif (“if, whether”), Saterland Frisian af, of (“if, whether”), West Frisian oft (“whether”), Dutch of (“or, whether, but”), Middle Low German ef, if, af, of ("if; whether"; > German Low German of), German ob (“if, whether”), Icelandic ef (“if”).
Inflected forms:
form: eef
pos: conj
tags: alternative
form: ifen
pos: conj
tags: alternative
form: iffen
pos: conj
tags: alternative
form: if'n
pos: conj
tags: alternative
form: ifs
pos: noun
tags: plural
Senses:
gloss: Supposing that, assuming that, in the circumstances that; used to introduce a condition that may be (or prove to be) either true or false.
pos: conj
examples: If crossing the road, make sure you look both ways.
If I give you the money would/will you buy it for me?
If you prefer, I can come tomorrow instead.
I'll, if I have time, do it next week.
I'll come only if you will do the driving.
Fetch me a cold beer if there's one in the fridge.
gloss: Supposing that, assuming that, in the circumstances that; used to introduce a condition that may be (or prove to be) either true or false.
pos: conj
examples: if A then B else C
gloss: Supposing that; used with past or past perfect subjunctive to indicate a counterfactual or hypothetical condition.
pos: conj
examples: If she hadn't told me, I wouldn't know.
"You would be healthier if you would give up smoking" "Well, if I were rich, I'd go to one of those hypnosis therapies to quit".
She could have used my car if the battery wasn't flat.
gloss: Supposing that; used with past or past perfect subjunctive to indicate a counterfactual or hypothetical condition.
pos: conj
tags: excessive
usually
examples: I wouldn't marry you if you were the last man on earth.
You're finishing your chowder if you sit there all afernoon!
“Wait a minute!” said the girl: “I wouldn’t hurry by, if it was you that was coming out to be hung, the next time eight o’clock struck, Bill. I’d walk round and round the place till I dropped, if the snow was on the ground, and I hadn’t a shawl to cover me.”
If it’s the last thing I do / If it takes me from Tubilo to Timbuktu / If it’s the last thing I do / I’m gonna dodge every road block, speed trap, county cop / To get my hands on you / If it’s the last thing I do.
gloss: Considering the fact that; given that; introducing a condition that is known to be true.
pos: conj
examples: The drain's blocked — and if the drain's blocked, the water won't flow.
O what of Gods then boots it to be borne, / If old Aveugles ſonnes ſo euill heare?
gloss: When; whenever; every time that.
pos: conj
examples: If you heat water to 100° C, it boils.
If it rains, it pours.
gloss: Although; used to introduce a concession; may..but.
pos: conj
examples: He was a great friend, if a little stingy at the bar.
She won her team's admiration, if not the award, for her performance.
Both Spear & Davis were indicted in the witchhunt surrounding the sensational (if nonexistent) "Revere sex ring."
gloss: Whether; used to introduce a noun clause, an indirect question, that functions as the direct object of certain verbs.
pos: conj
tags: proscribed
sometimes
examples: I don't know if I want to go or not.
Quoth Matthew, “ […] / She doubts if two and two make four, / […] ”
It is doubtful if the Victorian Londoner needed any warning, for the artful mobsmen, toolers, whizzers and dippers, together with their stickman accomplices, were everywhere in the crowds, in the underground, on railway trains […]
gloss: Introducing a relevance conditional; in case.
pos: conj
examples: I have leftover cake if you want some.
If you want to go home, I have the car keys.
gloss: While; used to introduce a contrast.
pos: conj
tags: rare
examples: If his Russian was music, his English was murder.
If the outcome of the land war on the Eastern Front is usually seen as decisive, historical views on the importance of the air war are mixed.
If the Russians out-produced the Japanese in individual units, the Japanese out-produced the USSR in terms of technological quality.
If the Americans knew how they wanted to use strategic air power but not what to attack, the British had a huge number of plans about what to attack but almost no means to adequately deliver the necessary blow.
If the Poles resisted imperial rule, the Ukrainians threatened the unity of the “reunified” Catherinian empire by claiming an identity distinct from the Russian.
If the collapse of the USSR was sudden and largely bloodless, growing strains between its two largest successors would develop into limited fighting in the Donbas in 2014 and then into all-out warfare in 2022, causing death, destruction, and a refugee crisis on a scale not seen in Europe since the Second World War.
If the Balkan Wars of 1912–13 and World War I spelled the end of the Porte as an imperial power, its former Balkan possessions were the scene of the Yugoslav wars of 1991–2001, which coincided with the disintegration of the USSR.
gloss: An uncertainty, possibility, condition, doubt etc.
pos: noun
tags: informal
examples: The board can't approve this project; there are too many ifs.
1709, Susannah Centlivre, The Busy Body, Act III, in John Bell (ed.), British Theater, J. Bell (1791), page 59,
Sir Fran. Nay, but Chargy, if——— ¶ Miran. Nay, Gardy, no Ifs.——Have I refus'd three northern lords, two British peers, and half a score knights, to have put in your Ifs?
Well might Bergman add, (in his Sciographia,), “if the compariſon that has been made, &c. be juſt.” The preſent writer makes no ifs about the matter, and has ſuperadded a little inaccuracy of his own, […]
Even if they managed to strike Japan, the United States or South Korea with nuclear weapons — a big if, given that they do not have a reliable delivery system — they could not save themselves from ultimate defeat.
Derived words: and if
an if
as if
as if by magic
as if nothing had happened
as if one's life depended on it
as if one's life depends on it
as-if rule
as if someone owns the place
as if there is no tomorrow
as if there's no tomorrow
as if there was no tomorrow
as if there were no tomorrow
big if true
but if
claret would be port if it could
correct me if I'm wrong
damned if I know
damned if one does and damned if one doesn't
don't mind if I do
elif
endif
even if
even if one's life depended on it
fuck if I know
hell if I care
hell if I know
if a day
if all else fails
if and only if
if and when
if anything
if applicable
if at all
if at first you don't succeed
if-bet
if-by-whiskey
if clause
if ever
if ever there was one
if ever there were one
if ever there were some
if there ever were one
if ever there has been one
iff
iffy
if I do say so myself
if I ever saw one
if I had a nickel for every time
if I may
if I may be so bold
if I may make so bold
if I may say so
if I'm honest
if I might be so bold
if I'm not mistaken
if I say so myself
if it be so
if it had not been for
if it isn't
if it kills one
if it looks like a duck
if it's all the same
if it's not one thing it's another
if it's the last thing I do
if it's yellow let it mellow
if it wasn't
if it were not for
if it you please
if I've ever seen one
if I were you
if looks could kill
if memory serves
if money
if need be
if needs be
if not
if not for
if nothing else
if one is a day
if only
if only the czar knew
if only the tsar knew
if pigs had wings
if pigs had wings they would fly
ifpology
if possible
if push comes to shove
if so
if so be
if that
if that doesn't beat all
if that don't beat all
if that's not
if the cap fits
if the mountain won't come to Muhammad
if-then
if-then-else
if-thenism
if-then statement
if there ever was one
if these walls could talk
if the shoe fits
if truth be told
if you ask me
if you don't mind me saying
if you know what I mean
if you know you know
if you lie with dogs you will get fleas
if you like
if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys
if you please
if you say so
if you see what I mean
if you will
I wouldn't piss on someone if they were on fire
know if one is Arthur or Martha
like as if
look as if one had lost a shilling and found sixpence
look as if one has been dragged through a hedge backwards
look as if one has lost a shilling and found sixpence
never ask the barber if you need a haircut
nice work if you can get it
nothing if not
not if I see you first
one's damned if one does and one's damned if one doesn't
only if
if I care
what if
what-if
would lose one's head if it wasn't attached
would lose one's head if it wasn't bolted on
would lose one's head if it wasn't glued on
would lose one's head if it wasn't screwed on
would lose one's head if it wasn't stuck on
would lose one's head if it wasn't tied on
would lose one's head if it weren't attached
wouldn't shout if a shark bit him
you'd complain if you were hung with a new rope
you're damned if you do and you're damned if you don't
Translations:
lang: Afrikaans
word: as
lang: Afrikaans
word: indien
lang: Ahom
word: 𑜆𑜦𑜡
roman: pō
lang: Akkadian
word: 𒋳𒈠
roman: šumma
lang: Albanian
word: nëse
lang: Arabic
word: إِنْ
roman: ʔin
lang: Arabic
word: لَوْ
lang: Arabic
word: إِذَا
roman: ʔiḏā
lang: Arabic
word: اذا
roman: eza
lang: Arabic
word: إذا
roman: ʔeza
lang: Arabic
word: لو
lang: Arabic
word: إن
roman: in
lang: Arabic
word: لو
lang: Arabic
word: إذا
roman: ʔiza, ʔiḏa
lang: Arabic
word: إن
roman: ʔin
lang: Arabic
word: كون كان
roman: kon kan
lang: Arabic
word: كُن كان
roman: kon kan
lang: Arabic
word: إذا
roman: ʔiza
lang: Arabic
word: لو
lang: Arabic
word: إن
roman: ʔin
lang: Arabic
word: إنكنّـ
roman: ʔin-kann-
lang: Tunisian Arabic
word: لَوْ كَانْ
roman: law kān
lang: Aragonese
word: si
lang: Aramaic
word: ܐܢ
roman: ʾen
lang: Aramaic
word: ܐܠܘ
roman: ʾellū
lang: Aramaic
word: אֶן
roman: ʾen
lang: Aramaic
word: אִין
roman: ʾîn
lang: Aramaic
word: אִלּוּ
roman: ʾillû
lang: Armenian
word: եթե
roman: etʻe
lang: Aromanian
word: disi
lang: Asturian
word: si
lang: Azerbaijani
word: əgər
lang: Bakhtiari
word: ار
roman: ar
lang: Bashkir
word: әгәр
roman: əgər
lang: Bashkir
word: әгәр ҙә
roman: əgər źə
lang: Belarusian
word: калі́
roman: kalí
lang: Bengali
word: যদি
roman: jodi
lang: Bislama
word: sapos
lang: Breton
word: ma
lang: Bulgarian
word: а́ко
roman: áko
lang: Burmese
word: က
roman: ka.
lang: Burmese
word: အကယ်၍
roman: a.kairwe
lang: Burmese
word: ရင်
roman: rang
lang: Burmese
word: လျှင်
roman: hlyang
lang: Catalan
word: si
lang: Chinese Cantonese
word: 要是
roman: jiu³ si⁶
lang: Chinese Cantonese
word: 如果
roman: jyu⁴ guo²
lang: Chinese
word: вәё
roman: vəi͡o
lang: Chinese
word: зэсы
roman: zesɨ
lang: Chinese
word: дан
roman: dan
lang: Chinese
word: дансы
roman: dansɨ
lang: Chinese
word: зэ
roman: ze
lang: Eastern Min Chinese
word: 儷是 /俪是
roman: nâ-sê
lang: Chinese
word: 假使
roman: zh-min-nan
lang: Chinese
word: 檢采 /检采
roman: zh-min-nan
lang: Chinese
word: 若
roman: zh-min-nan
lang: Chinese Mandarin
word: 如果
roman: rúguǒ
lang: Chinese Mandarin
word: 要是
roman: yàoshì
lang: Chinese Mandarin
word: 如
roman: rú
lang: Chinese Mandarin
word: ...的话
roman: ...de huà
lang: Chinese Mandarin
word: 當 /当
roman: dāng
lang: Chukchi
word: эвыр
roman: ėvyr
lang: Chukchi
word: эвыт
roman: ėvyt
lang: Chukchi
word: эвыръым
roman: ėvyrʺym
lang: Chuvash
word: эхер
roman: eh̬er
lang: Maore Comorian
word: djeli
lang: Czech
word: jestliže
lang: Czech
word: pokud
lang: Danish
word: hvis
lang: Danish
word: om
lang: Danish
word: dersom
lang: Danish
word: nærmest
lang: Danish
word: snarere
lang: Dutch
word: als
lang: Dutch
word: indien
lang: Dutch
word: as
lang: Esperanto
word: se
lang: Estonian
word: kui
lang: Finnish
word: jos
lang: Finnish
word: mikäli
lang: French
word: si
lang: Middle French
word: si
lang: Old French
word: se
lang: West-Frisian
word: as
lang: West-Frisian
word: at
lang: Galician
word: se
lang: Georgian
word: თუ
roman: tu
lang: German
word: wenn
lang: German
word: falls
lang: Gothic
word: 𐌾𐌰𐌱𐌰𐌹
roman: jabai
lang: Greek
word: αν
roman: an
lang: Greek
word: εάν
roman: eán
lang: Greek
word: άμα
roman: áma
lang: Greek
word: ει
roman: ei
lang: Ancient Greek
word: εἰ
roman: ei
lang: Ancient Greek
word: ἐάν
roman: eán
lang: Ancient Greek
word: ἄν
roman: án
lang: Ancient Greek
word: ἤν
roman: ḗn
lang: Haitian Creole
word: si
lang: Hebrew
word: אִם
roman: im
lang: Hindi
word: अगर
roman: agar
lang: Hindi
word: यदि
roman: yadi
lang: Hindi
word: जो
roman: jo
lang: Hungarian
word: ha
lang: Hungarian
word: hogyha
lang: Hungarian
word: amennyiben
lang: Icelandic
word: ef
lang: Ido
word: se
lang: Indonesian
word: jika
lang: Indonesian
word: kalau
lang: Indonesian
word: apabila
lang: Ingrian
word: jos
lang: Interlingua
word: si
lang: Irish
word: má
lang: Irish
word: dá
lang: Old Irish
word: má
lang: Old Irish
word: dia
lang: Italian
word: se
lang: Japanese
word: もし...
roman: moshi...
lang: Japanese
word: ...なら
roman: ...nara
lang: Japanese
word: ...ならば
roman: ...naraba
lang: Japanese
word: ...だったら
roman: ...dattara
lang: Japanese
word: ...と
lang: Japanese
word: ...ては
roman: ...te wa
lang: Japanese
word: ...えば
roman: ...eba
lang: Javanese
word: manawa
lang: Kamviri
word: to
lang: Kapampangan
word: nung
lang: Kapampangan
word: patie
lang: Kapampangan
word: istung
lang: Kapampangan
word: ...naman
lang: Kapampangan
word: ...taman
lang: Kapampangan
word: ...paman
lang: Kapampangan
word: ... naman pa
lang: Kazakh
word: егер
roman: eger
lang: Khmer
word: បើ
roman: baə
lang: Korean
word: 만약
roman: manyak
lang: Korean
word: -면
roman: -myeon
lang: Kumyk
word: эгер
roman: eger
lang: Central Kurdish
word: ئەگەر
roman: eger
lang: Northern Kurdish
word: heke
lang: Northern Kurdish
word: eger
lang: Kyrgyz
word: эгер
roman: eger
lang: Lao
word: ຖ້າ
roman: thā
lang: Lao
word: ຄັນ
roman: khan
lang: Latin
word: si
lang: Latvian
word: ja
lang: Lingala
word: soki
lang: Lithuanian
word: jei
lang: Lithuanian
word: jeigu
lang: Lü
word: ᦅᧃ
roman: kan
lang: Macedonian
word: ако
roman: ako
lang: Malay
word: kalau
lang: Malay
word: kira
lang: Malay
word: jika
lang: Malay
word: jikalau
lang: Malay
word: andai
lang: Malay
word: sekiranya
lang: Malayalam
word: എങ്കിൽ
roman: eṅkil
lang: Maltese
word: jekk
lang: Māori
word: mēnā
lang: Eastern Mari
word: гын
roman: gyn
lang: Mongolian
word: болзол
roman: bolzol
lang: Mongolian
word: -бал
roman: -bal
lang: Mongolian
word: -вал
roman: -val
lang: Navajo
word: ládą́ą́ʼ
lang: Neapolitan
word: si
lang: Norwegian Bokmål
word: dersom
lang: Norwegian Bokmål
word: hvis
lang: Norwegian Bokmål
word: om
lang: Norwegian Bokmål
word: når
lang: Norwegian Nynorsk
word: dersom
lang: Norwegian Nynorsk
word: i fall
lang: Norwegian Nynorsk
word: om
lang: Norwegian Nynorsk
word: såframt
lang: Norwegian Nynorsk
word: viss
lang: Nǀuu
word: ǃûu
lang: Occitan
word: se
lang: Old English
word: ġif
lang: Pashto
word: که چېرې
roman: ka čere
lang: Pashto
word: که
roman: ka
lang: Persian
word: اگر
roman: agar
lang: Persian
word: چنانچه
roman: čenânče, čonânče
lang: Polish
word: jeśli
lang: Polish
word: jeżeli
lang: Polish
word: gdyby
lang: Polish
word: jak
lang: Portuguese
word: se
lang: Portuguese
word: caso
lang: Punjabi
word: ਜੇ
roman: je
lang: Punjabi
word: جے
roman: jē
lang: Rapa Nui
word: ana
lang: Romanian
word: dacă
lang: Romansh
word: sche
lang: Russian
word: е́сли
roman: jésli
lang: Russian
word: е́жели
roman: jéželi
lang: Russian
word: ко́ли
roman: kóli
lang: Russian
word: ка́бы
roman: káby
lang: Northern Sami
word: jos
lang: Sanskrit
word: यदि
roman: yadi
lang: Scots
word: if
lang: Scots
word: gin
lang: Scottish Gaelic
word: ma
lang: Scottish Gaelic
word: nan
lang: Serbo-Croatian
word: ȁko
lang: Serbo-Croatian
word: ȁko
lang: Shan
word: ပေႃး
roman: páu
lang: Sikkimese
word: གལ་སྲིད
roman: gal srid
lang: Sinhalese
word: නම්
roman: nam
lang: Sinhalese
word: නං
roman: naṁ
lang: Slovak
word: ak
lang: Slovene
word: če
lang: Lower Sorbian
word: joli
lang: Lower Sorbian
word: gaž
lang: Lower Sorbian
word: gaby
lang: Lower Sorbian
word: -li
lang: Spanish
word: si
lang: Sundanese
word: upami
lang: Swahili
word: ikiwa
lang: Swahili
word: kama
lang: Swedish
word: om
lang: Tai Dam
word: ꪖ꫁ꪱꪫ꪿ꪱ
lang: Tai Nüa
word: ᥗᥪᥒᥴᥝᥣ
roman: thúengwaa
lang: Tajik
word: агар
roman: agar
lang: Tamil
word: என்றால்
roman: eṉṟāl
lang: Tatar
word: әгәр
roman: ägär
lang: Telugu
word: అయితే
roman: ayitē
lang: Thai
word: ถ้า หาก
roman: tâa
lang: Tibetan
word: ན
roman: na
lang: Tocharian B
word: inte
lang: Tocharian B
word: kwri
lang: Tok Pisin
word: sapos
lang: Turkish
word: eğer
lang: Turkish
word: -se
lang: Turkish
word: -sa
lang: Turkish
word: ise
lang: Turkish
word: varsayarsak
lang: Turkmen
word: eger
lang: Uab Meto
word: kalu
lang: Ukrainian
word: якщо́
roman: jakščó
lang: Ukrainian
word: коли́
roman: kolý
lang: Urdu
word: اگر
roman: agar
lang: Urdu
word: یدی
roman: yadī
lang: Uyghur
word: ئەگەر
roman: eger
lang: Uzbek
word: agar
lang: Vietnamese
word: nếu (mà)
lang: Vietnamese
word: hễ (mà)
lang: Vietnamese
word: nếu trường hợp
lang: Volapük
word: if
lang: Waigali
word: të
lang: Walloon
word: si
lang: Welsh
word: os
lang: Welsh
word: pe
lang: Wutunhua
word: -la
lang: Yakut
word: өскө
roman: öskö
lang: Yiddish
word: אויב
roman: oyb
lang: Yiddish
word: טאָמער
roman: tomer
lang: Yiddish
word: אַז
roman: az
lang: Yucatec Maya
word: wa
lang: Zazaki
word: eger
lang: Zazaki
word: eke (diq)
lang: Zealandic
word: a
lang: Zealandic
word: as
lang: Zhuang
word: danghnaeuz