ko da

Even if or if by Chance

Level 4

An unreal earlier event differs from a by-chance future event.

How It Works

Ko da introduces hypothetical conditions. An unreal concessive reading imagines an earlier event while saying that the outcome would still have held: Ko da mun san labarin, ba ma tafi ba ‘Even if we had known the news, we would not have left’. The hypothesis has completive mun; the consequence has negative indefinite-future ma, with long falling-tone a.

A prospective clause with za can present a by-chance possibility. Ko da Musa zai zo gobe, ki gaya masa cewa za mu dawo gives a woman an instruction for that possible visit.

Distinguish consequence ma from negative-completive mu. Consequence ta likewise requires indefinite-future pronunciation in the second card. Plain ko concessive conditions have separate TAM patterns.

Examples (3)

  1. Ko da mun san labarin, ba ma tafi ba.

    Even if we had known the news, we would not have left.

    Mun is completive; consequence ma has pronunciation-only notation mâa.

  2. Ko da Amina ta zo da wuri, ba ta same mu ba.

    Even if Amina had come early, she would not have found us.

    The condition is completive; consequence ta has pronunciation-only notation tâa.

  3. Ko da Musa zai zo gobe, ki gaya masa cewa za mu dawo.

    If by chance Musa is going to come tomorrow, tell him that we will return, addressing a woman.

    Zai presents the possibility; subjunctive ki introduces the instruction.

How It Connects

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

ko daLevel 4Even if or if by Chance

Learn This First

Distinguish hypothetical timelines and directed subjunctive instructions before learning unreal concession and a prospective by-chance hypothesis. Selected negative indefinite-future consequence forms are introduced here. In the supporting instruction, gaya masa cewa means tell him that; the later cewa lesson develops its complete content-clause construction.

Words in This Pattern

daDa