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Conditionals

אם and לו

Real conditions use אם

'If' for likely situations.

📊 Conditionals
Type 'If' word Pattern
real אם (im) present or future
unreal לו / אילו (lu/ilu) past + היה
result אז (az) 'then'
💬 Examples
אם תלמד, תצליח
im tilmad, tatzliach
If you study, you'll succeed
📝 אם + future
אם יש זמן, נלך
im yesh zman, nelech
If there's time, we'll go
📝 Real condition
Unreal conditions use לו / אילו + היה

Hypothetical or counterfactual.

💬 Examples
לו הייתי עשיר, הייתי נוסע
lu hayiti ashir, hayiti nose'a
If I were rich, I would travel
📝 לו + היה (counterfactual)
אילו ידעתי, הייתי בא
ilu yadati, hayiti ba
Had I known, I would have come
📝 Past unreal
היה builds the conditional & past habitual

היה + present participle.

💬 Examples
הייתי הולך
hayiti holech
I would go / I used to go
📝 היה + present participle
היא הייתה אומרת
hi hayta omeret
She would say / used to say
📝 Habitual / conditional