if
Translation
if, whether
Examples
If it rains, we will stay home.
If it rains, we will stay home.
I don't know if he is coming.
I don't know if he is coming.
If I were you, I would go.
If I were you, I would go.
Grammar Patterns
If (clause), (clause) used to talk about a possible situation and its result If it rains, we will stay home.
(verb) if (clause) used to mean 'whether' I don't know if he is coming.
Similar Words
Synonyms: provided that, in case, whether
Etymology
From Old English 'gif', meaning 'if, whether, so that'. Its origin is debated but it's a fundamental Germanic word.
Memory Tips
'If' introduces a condition. Imagine a choice: what happens IF you choose path A? What happens IF you choose path B?