если

Borrowed from Russian е́сли (jésli).

• IPA^(key): /ˈjesli/
• Rhymes: -esli
• Hyphenation: ес‧ли

если • (jesĺi)

1. Synonym of гын (gyn)

   если толат, ойлем

   jesĺi tolat, ojĺem

   if you come, I'll tell you

• J. Bradley et al. (2023) “если”, in The Mari Web Project: Mari-English Dictionary, University of Vienna

Borrowed from Old Ruthenian если, есьли, естли (esli, esʹli, estli) around XVI, from Old Polish jestli, jesli.[1][2] By surface analysis, есть (jestʹ) +‎ ли (li).

• IPA^(key): [ˈjes⁽ʲ⁾lʲɪ]

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е́сли • (jésli)

1. if, in case

   Synonyms: е́жели (jéželi), ко́ли (kóli), коль (kolʹ), когда́ (kogdá)

   Я бы пошёл в кино́, е́сли бы у меня́ бы́ло вре́мя.

   Ja by pošól v kinó, jésli by u menjá býlo vrémja.

   I would have gone to the cinema if I had had time.

   а е́сли ― a jésli ― if ever

   е́сли и ― jésli i ― even if

   е́сли то́лько ― jésli tólʹko ― only if

   • 1956, “Подмосковные вечера (Moscow Suburban Evenings)”, Mikhail Matusovsky (lyrics), Vasily Solovyov-Sedoi (music)‎:

     Если б знали вы, как мне дороги
     Подмосковные вечера.

     Jesli b znali vy, kak mne dorogi
     Podmoskovnyje večera.

     If ye would know, how dear [they are] to me
     The Moscow suburban nights.

In Russian, the conjunction е́сли (jésli) can only be used to express a condition or hypothetical situation, while the conjunction ли (li) is used to express the meaning of whether. This is different from English, where if can be used for both.

• е́сли бы (jésli by)

• → Eastern Mari: если (jesĺi)