إذا

Meaning

Conj

1. when, when it is that; as soon as; if
2. (with فَ (fa, “then”)) and then, and; thereupon, whereupon; when behold, then behold

Adv

then, therefore

Concepts

if

whether

if need be

provided that

if ever

Synonyms

لو

Translations

se

si

eğer

wenn

εάν

si

falls

ob

αν

si

als

indien

se

si

si jamais

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ʔi.ðaː/

Etymology

Equivalent to a univerbation of إِن (ʔin, “if, introduces protasis”) + ذَا (ḏā, “this, demonstrative pronoun”). A retroactively added protasis may be instead understood by the hearer as a new main clause, therefore “when” became “then”. Like in Latin—well-known—relative pronouns are used as proximal demonstrative pronouns indistinctly: quod erat demonstrandum.
Compare to Hebrew אָז (ʾāz, “so, therefore, then”), Hebrew אַזַי, Aramaic אֱדַיִן (ʾĕḏáyin, “then, at that time”), which may in lack of attestations of conjunctional use instead parallel هٰذَا (hāḏā) however.