Hekanî · If this happens…
Connect a possible condition with its result.
By the end of this lessonBuild open present/future conditions with heke and a subjunctive verb.
The idea
For a possible present or future condition, use heke + subject + subjunctive. Then add a result clause with its own subject and verb: Heke tu bixwînî, ez dê bixwînim. Heke means “if”; ger and heger also occur. The result can be a future statement or a command.
See it in a sentence
This introductory hekanî lesson covers possible conditions. “If I had…” and unreal past conditions need different forms and are not covered here. Do not use this pattern for every conditional sentence.
Build it step by step
- Separate the sentence into condition and result. Heke introduces the uncertain condition; it does not assert that the action already happened.
- For the possible present/future conditions taught here, use a subjunctive verb after heke. Match its ending to the subject of that clause.
- Build the result separately. A future result uses dê with its own verb; a command uses the imperative. Negating the condition does not automatically negate the result.
| Condition | Result |
|---|---|
| Heke tu bixwînî, | ez dê bixwînim. |
| Heke tu nexwînî, | ez dê bixwînim. |
| Heke em biçin, | hûn dê biçin. |
| Heke tu bixwînî, | kitêba xwe bixwîne! |
Take a sentence apart
if: introduces a condition
possible action with tu agreement
future result with ez agreement
English usually says “if you read” without “will” in the condition. This Kurmanji pattern uses the subjunctive in the condition and dê in a future result. Past counterfactuals need another pattern.
A common trap
Incorrect: Heke tu bixwînî, ez dê bixwînî.
Correct: Heke tu bixwînî, ez dê bixwînim.
The second clause has subject ez, so its ending is -im. Do not copy the ending of the condition into the result.
Grammar reference: Thackston, § 16.1(5) · Possible conditional clauses