Unreal Present Conditions

Level 4

Both parts take the past with می‌, and the sentence still talks about now.

How It Works

What is realUnreal sentenceMeaning
It is raining.اگر باران نمی‌بارید، به میله می‌رفتیم.If it were not raining, we would go on a picnic.
I am sick.اگر مریض نمی‌بودم، با شما به میله می‌آمدم.If I were not sick, I would come with you on the picnic.
You are not here.اگر تو اینجا می‌بودی، با هم به بازار می‌رفتیم.If you were here, we would go to the market together.

Compare the open condition: اگر پول داشته باشم، خانه می‌خرم means I may have the money. اگر پول می‌داشتم، خانه می‌خریدم means I do not have it.

The forms look like past habits, and the meaning is different. A past habit has a time word such as هر روز or در کودکی. This pattern has اگر.

To give advice, say اگر من جای تو می‌بودم (if I were you): اگر من جای تو می‌بودم، به داکتر می‌رفتم.

Examples (5)

  1. اگر پول زیاد می‌داشتم، یک خانهٔ کلان می‌خریدم.

    If I had a lot of money, I would buy a big house.

    می‌داشتم in the if clause and می‌خریدم in the result: both are the past with می‌.

  2. اگر تو اینجا می‌بودی، با هم به بازار می‌رفتیم.

    If you were here, we would go to the market together.

    می‌بودی shows that you are not here now.

  3. اگر هوا خوب می‌بود، به پغمان می‌رفتیم.

    If the weather were nice, we would go to Paghman.

    می‌بود shows that the weather is not nice now.

  4. اگر مریض نمی‌بودم، با شما به میله می‌آمدم.

    If I were not sick, I would come with you on the picnic.

    نمی‌بودم is the negative: نمی‌ replaces می‌.

  5. اگر من جای تو می‌بودم، با کاکایت گپ می‌زدم.

    If I were you, I would talk to your uncle.

    اگر من جای تو می‌بودم is a fixed way to give advice.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the open-condition subjunctive for something that is not real.

    اگر پول زیاد داشته باشم، یک خانهٔ کلان می‌خریدم.
    اگر پول زیاد می‌داشتم، یک خانهٔ کلان می‌خریدم.

    داشته باشم is for a real possibility. For something that is not true now, use می‌داشتم.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Unreal Present ConditionsLevel 4

Learn This First

An unreal condition changes an open one and uses the past habit.

Words in This Pattern

اگر