English → Arabic
unless in Arabic
- Pronunciation
- illā ʾidhā
- Arabizi
illa itha- Type
- conjunction
How to use it
The conjunction "unless" is usually rendered as "إِلَّا إِذَا" (illā ʾidhā) in Arabic, literally "except if". It introduces a condition that would prevent the main clause from happening.
Example sentences
-
لَا تَذْهَبْ إِلَّا إِذَا أَكْمَلْتَ عَمَلَكَ.
lā tadhhab illā ʾidhā akmalta ʿamalaka.
Don't go unless you finish your work.
-
سَأَذْهَبُ إِلَّا إِذَا هَبَّتِ الرِّيَاحُ.
saʾadhhabu illā ʾidhā habbat al-rīāḥu.
I will leave unless the wind blows.
-
لَا تَشْرِبْ الشَّايَ إِلَّا إِذَا غَلِيَ.
lā tashrib al-shāya illā ʾidhā ghalīa.
Don't drink the tea unless it boils.
Examples from real texts
Sentences taken from published bilingual texts (subtitles, documents). They show the word in context and are not reviewed one by one.
I'm not going unless Tom goes.
لن أذهب ما لَم يذهب توم.
Don't come unless I tell you to.
لا تأت حتى أقول لك.
We cannot win unless the moderates win.
وعلى هذا فلن يتحقق لنا الفوز ما لم ينتصر المعتدلون.
A calamity is inevitable unless we change.
إن وقوع الكارثة أمر حتمي ما لم نتغير.
America will not win unless the moderates win.
ولن يكتب النصر لأميركا ما لم ينتصر المعتدلون.
Do two walk together, unless they have agreed?
هل يسير اثنان معا ان لم يتواعدا.
Nothing happens unless it is preceded by a dream.
لا شيء يحدث إن لم يكن حلما في البداية.
unless the arbitration agreement otherwise provides.
ما لم ينص اتفاق التحكيم على غير ذلك.
Unless they're Wonderwoman, in which case underwear is last.
إلا إذا كانت المرأة المعجزة، وفي هذة الحالة الملابس الداخلية تأتي في المرتبة الأخيرة.
Tourniquets are not recommended unless in the direst emergency
ضاغطات العروق لا ينصح بها إلّا في الحالات الخطرة
Jihadi extremism cannot be defeated unless the mainstream wins.
إن التطرف الجهادي لن يقهر إلا بفوز التيار السائد.
For they don't sleep, unless they do evil. Their sleep is taken away, unless they make someone fall.
لانهم لا ينامون ان لم يفعلوا سوءا وينزع نومهم ان لم يسقطوا احدا.
Questions and answers
Can I use "إلا إذا" alone?
Yes, it works as a conjunction, but it must be followed by a verb clause.
Is there a shorter form?
In informal speech people sometimes say "ما إذا" meaning "if not".
Related words and expressions
Updated