إذا

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word إذا. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word إذا, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say إذا in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word إذا you have here. The definition of the word إذا will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofإذا, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
See also: آدا and ادا

Arabic

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.

Pronunciation 1

  • IPA(key): /ʔi.ðaː/
  • (file)

Conjunction

إِذَا (ʔiḏā) (+ past or jussive)

  1. when, when it is that; as soon as; if
    Synonyms: (dated) إِذ (ʔiḏ, when), لَمَّا (lammā, when; once), حِينَ (ḥīna, (at) the moment that)
    إِذَا جِئْتَ فَاتَّصِلْ بِي
    ʔiḏā jiʔta fāttaṣil bī
    As soon as you arrive, call me.
    • 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 4:6:
      وَٱبْتَلُوا ٱلْيَتَامَى حَتَّى إِذَا بَلَغُوا ٱلنِّكَاحَ فَإِنْ آنَسْتُم مِّنْهُمْ رُشْدًا فَٱدْفَعُوا إِلَيْهِمْ أَمْوَالَهُمْ وَلَا تَأْكُلُوهَا إِسْرَافًا وَبِدَارًا أَن يَكْبَرُوا وَمَن كَانَ غَنِيًّا فَلْيَسْتَعْفِفْ وَمَن كَانَ فَقِيرًا فَلْيَأْكُلْ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ فَإِذَا دَفَعْتُمْ إِلَيْهِمْ أَمْوَالَهُمْ فَأَشْهِدُوا عَلَيْهِمْ وَكَفَى بِٱللَّهِ حَسِيبًا
      wa-btalū l-yatāmā ḥattā ʔiḏā balaḡū n-nikāḥa fa-ʔin ʔānastum mminhum rušdan fa-dfaʕū ʔilayhim ʔamwālahum wa-lā taʔkulūhā ʔisrāfan wa-bidāran ʔan yakbarū wa-man kāna ḡaniyyan fal-yastaʕfif wa-man kāna faqīran fal-yaʔkul bi-l-maʕrūfi fa-ʔiḏā dafaʕtum ʔilayhim ʔamwālahum fa-ʔašhidū ʕalayhim wa-kafā bi-llahi ḥasīban
      And examine the orphans till they seem able to bear intercourse. If you sense prudence from them, pass their money to them, and do not eat it extravangantly nor hastily before their growing up. Whoever is rich should abstain, and whoever is poor may eat as is custom. And when you pass them the money, summon someone to be a witness against them. It is Allah who is the Reckoner .
    • 1930s, “حُمَاةَ ٱلْحِمَى”, أَبُو ٱلْقَاسِمِ ٱلشَّابِيّ, مُصْطَفَى صَادِق الرَّافِعِي (lyrics), مُحَمَّد عَبْدُ ٱلْوَهَّاب (music):
      إِذَا الشَّعْبُ يَوْمًا أَرَادَ الْحَيَاة / فَلَا بُدَّ أَنْ يَسْتَجِيبَ الْقَدَر
      ʔiḏā aš-šaʕbu yawman ʔarāda l-ḥayā(t) / fa-lā budda ʔan yastajība l-qadar
      When a prideful people wills to live, / Destiny itself will grant their wish.
  2. (indicates perception, as of a sudden or concurrent action) (with فَ (fa, then)) and then, and; thereupon, whereupon; when behold, then behold
    خَرَجْتُ فَإِذَا الْمَطَرُ يَنْهَمِرُ
    ḵarajtu fa-ʔiḏā al-maṭaru yanhamiru
    I went out, and the rain was pouring.
    • 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 7:117:
      وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَى مُوسَى أَنْ أَلْقِ عَصَاكَ فَإِذَا هِيَ تَلْقَفُ مَا يَأْفِكُونَ
      wa-ʔawḥaynā ʔilā mūsā ʔan ʔalqi ʕaṣāka fa-ʔiḏā hiya talqafu mā yaʔfikūna
      And We inspired Moses "Cast your staff", whereupon it devoured what they were forging.
Usage notes
  • When iḏā is used as the conditional particle in a conditional clause, it may be followed by a past-tense verb regardless of natural time-reference.
  • As a particle of surprise the verb that follows is typically found in the present/non-past tense despite having a past-tense sense; most often used in storytelling or relating events, announcing an event or occurrence that follows after another, a sequence.
Derived terms

Pronunciation 2

Alternative forms

Adverb

إِذًا (ʔiḏan)

  1. then, therefore

References

  • Corriente, Federico, Pereira, Christophe, Vicente, Angeles, editors (2017), Dictionnaire du faisceau dialectal arabe andalou. Perspectives phraséologiques et étymologiques (in French), Berlin: De Gruyter, →ISBN, page 21
  • ˀdyn”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–
  • hdn”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–

Egyptian Arabic

Alternative forms

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Arabic إِذَا (ʔiḏā).

Conjunction

إذا (ʔiza)

  1. if
    إذا كان معاك فلوس سلفني خمسين جنيه
    ʔiza kān maʕak flūs sallifni ḵamsīn ginīh
    If you have some money, lend me fifty pounds.
    إذا مفيش مشكلة
    ʔiza ma-fīš muškila
    If it's not a problem.
  2. whether, if
    اسأله إذا كان معاه سمك
    isʔalu ʔiza kān maʕāh samak
    Ask him whether he has fish.

See also

  • إن (ʔin, if), لو (law, if)

Hijazi Arabic

Etymology 1

Learned borrowing from Arabic إِذَا (ʔiḏā).

Pronunciation

Conjunction

إذا (ʔiza, ʔiḏa)

  1. when, when it is that; as soon as
    Synonym: لَمَّا (lamma)
  2. if, whether
See also
  • لو (law, if (hypothetical))

Etymology 2

Learned borrowing from Arabic إِذًا (ʔiḏan).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ʔi.zan/, /ʔi.ðan/

Adverb

إذًا (ʔizan, ʔiḏan)

  1. so, then, therefore
    Synonyms: فـ (fa-), أجل (ʔajal)

South Levantine Arabic

Etymology 1

Learned borrowing from Arabic إِذَا (ʔiḏā).

Pronunciation

(file)

Conjunction

إذا (ʔiza)

  1. if, whether
    Synonyms: إن (ʔin), إنكنّـ (ʔin-kann-)
    إسأله إذا المدير موجود.
    ʔisʔalo ʔiza l-mudīr mawjūd
    Ask him if the manager is there.
    ما بعرف إذا برجع ولّا لأ.
    ma baʕref ʔiza birjaʕ willa laʔ
    I don't know whether he's coming back or not.
    إذا رجع بكير، بقلّك.
    ʔiza rijeʕ bakkīr, baʔul-lak
    If he gets back early, I'll tell you.
Usage notes
  • إذا (ʔiza) may be followed by a past tense verb referring to a future action.
See also
  • لو (law, if (hypothetical)), لونّـ (lawenn-, if (hypothetical))

Etymology 2

Learned borrowing from Arabic إِذًا (ʔiḏan).

Adverb

إذا (ʔiḏan)

  1. so, then, therefore
    Synonym: فـ (fa-)

See also

  • لكان (lakān, so, then, in that case)