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Natural resources: if only, and the people who
"If I were in charge, I would..." Arabic uses لو for imaginary conditions. It is a great way to reach the top grades.
Resources
المَوارِدُ الطَّبيعِيّة natural resources, المِياهُ النَّظيفة clean water, نَقْصُ المِياه water shortage, الجَفاف drought.
النِّفْط oil, الغاز gas, الطّاقةُ المُتَجَدِّدة renewable energy, تَحْليةُ مِياهِ البَحْر desalination of seawater.
تَعْتَمِدُ دُوَلٌ كَثيرةٌ في الخَليجِ على تَحْليةِ مِياهِ البَحْر = Many Gulf countries depend on desalinating seawater.
النِّفْط oil, الغاز gas, الطّاقةُ المُتَجَدِّدة renewable energy, تَحْليةُ مِياهِ البَحْر desalination of seawater.
تَعْتَمِدُ دُوَلٌ كَثيرةٌ في الخَليجِ على تَحْليةِ مِياهِ البَحْر = Many Gulf countries depend on desalinating seawater.
لو: imaginary conditions
لو + past tense, then لَـ + past tense = if ... would:
لَوْ كُنْتُ رَئيسًا لَاسْتَخْدَمْتُ الطّاقةَ الشَّمْسِيّةَ في كُلِّ مَكان = If I were president, I would use solar energy everywhere.
لَوْ كانَ عِنْدَنا ماءٌ أَكْثَرُ لَزَرَعْنا أَشْجارًا = If we had more water, we would plant trees.
Compare: إذا is for real possibilities; لو is for imaginary ones.
لَوْ كُنْتُ رَئيسًا لَاسْتَخْدَمْتُ الطّاقةَ الشَّمْسِيّةَ في كُلِّ مَكان = If I were president, I would use solar energy everywhere.
لَوْ كانَ عِنْدَنا ماءٌ أَكْثَرُ لَزَرَعْنا أَشْجارًا = If we had more water, we would plant trees.
Compare: إذا is for real possibilities; لو is for imaginary ones.
Who, for groups
Translate: If I had a lot of money, I would help the people who have no clean water.
- If I had a lot of money: لو كان عندي مال كثير.
- I would help: لساعدتُ (لـ + past).
- The people who have no clean water: الناس الذين ليس عندهم ماء نظيف.
Answer: لو كان عندي مال كثير لساعدتُ الناس الذين ليس عندهم ماء نظيف.
لو + past, لـ + past = imaginary condition (if ... would): لو كنتُ رئيسًا لاستخدمتُ ... Relatives: الذي، التي، الذين (men, mixed groups), اللواتي (women). Words: الموارد الطبيعية، نقص المياه، الجفاف، الطاقة المتجددة.
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