If: inā

Level 4

Inā starts a condition: if this happens, then that follows.

How It Works

Inā is the most common word for “if”. The condition comes first, and the result follows.

  • Inā makemake ʻoe, e hele kāua. If you want, let us go.
  • Inā ʻike au iā ia, e haʻi aku au. If I see him, I will tell him.

For something that did not happen, the reference grammar pairs inā i in the if-part with inā ua in the result: Inā i makemake ʻo ia, inā ua hele mai ʻo ia. “If she had wanted to, she would have come.” Learn this pairing as a set. Many everyday sentences simply use inā and a plain result.

Write the kahakō: it is part of the spelling of inā.

Examples (4)

  1. Inā makemake ʻoe, e hele kāua i ke kula.

    If you want, let us go to school.

    The condition comes first. The result is a plain e command.

  2. Inā ʻike au iā ia, e haʻi aku au.

    If I see him, I will tell him.

    The result clause needs no extra word.

  3. Inā hiki iaʻu, e kōkua aku ana au iā ʻoe.

    If I can, I will help you.

    Inā works with hiki, a word learners already know.

  4. Inā i makemake ʻo ia, inā ua hele mai ʻo ia.

    If she had wanted to, she would have come.

    Inā i in the if-part and inā ua in the result look back at something that did not happen.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving off the kahakō when typing.

    Ina hiki iaʻu, e hele au.
    Inā hiki iaʻu, e hele au.

    The kahakō is part of the word. Learners who type without marks often write ina, which is a spelling slip, not another word for “if”.

How It Connects

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

If: ināLevel 4

Learn This First

Inā means “if” and starts a clause.