haddii
Conditional Clauses with Haddii
An open condition commonly uses haddii + subject + subjunctive, followed by a present or future result.
How It Works
Readily fulfillable conditions use full subjunctive forms and lack an ordinary main-clause particle. Their subject can be a pronoun, noun phrase, or both. The result keeps its statement construction or, when giving instructions, its command construction.
Dependent forms of yahay and leeyahay with a subject word match their ordinary present forms. Thus tahay in a condition follows a special copular paradigm.
Negative conditions use aan and reduced subjunctive forms. Northern aanad and southern aadan are both documented. Less realistic conditions can have a conditional result; past imagined conditions commonly use conditional constructions in both halves. Haddii does not prescribe one tense combination for every context.
Examples (4)
- Haddii aad shaqayso, waxaad heli doontaa lacag.
If you work, you will get money.
Open condition with a future result.
- Haddii aad daallan tahay, naso.
If you are tired, rest.
Dependent copula and imperative result.
- Haddii aadan haysan qalin, isticmaal qalinkayga.
If you do not have a pen, use my pen.
Negative condition with aadan and reduced haysan.
- Haddii aad aragto Cumar, warka u sheeg.
If you see Omar, tell him the news.
Dependent aragto; the result retains recipient u.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Recognize dependent verb forms before separating the condition introduced by haddii from its consequence.
Related Patterns
Practice haddii in Bubblegum
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