what if en · ADV
Pronunciation
- (Southern-England) audio
Etymology
Dates back at least to Old English hwæt ġif, of the same meaning. A similar expression occurs in Latin in the Vulgate, Acts 23:9, "Factus est autem clamor magnus. Et surgentes quidam pharisaeorum, pugnabant, decentes: Nihil mali inveniumus in homine isto: quid si Spiritus locutus est ei, aut angelus?" ("And there arose a great cry. And some of the Pharisees rising up, strove, saying: We find no evil in this man. What if a spirit hath spoken to him, or an angel?" Douay-Rheims translation)
Meanings
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(not-comparable) Used to introduce a suggestion or proposal for a future event.
What if we arrange it for 9:00 instead of 10:00?
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(not-comparable) Used to introduce a speculation about a future event.
What if we could learn to get along? What would happen then?
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(not-comparable) Used to introduce a speculation about a past event. Often the basis for counterfactual historical interpretations.
What if Abraham Lincoln had not been assassinated? How might the Reconstruction of the Southern States have been handled?
Deriveds
Relateds
Synonyms
how about (introducing a suggestion) · what about (introducing a suggestion)
Translations (48)
pt e se (used to introduce speculation about future) · cmn 不如 (used to introduce suggestion) · fi mitä jos (used to introduce suggestion) · de was wenn (used to introduce suggestion) · fr et si (used to introduce suggestion) · lzh 莫若 (used to introduce suggestion) · el και αν (used to introduce speculation about future) · cs co kdyby (used to introduce speculation about future) · ang hwæt ġif (used to introduce speculation about future) · fr et si (used to introduce speculation about past) · cmn 萬一 /万一 (used to introduce speculation about past) · yue 不如 (used to introduce suggestion) · cs co když (used to introduce speculation about past) · fr et si (used to introduce speculation about future) · fi entä jos (used to introduce speculation about future) · el και αν (used to introduce speculation about past) · fi entä jos (used to introduce suggestion) · es y si (used to introduce speculation about future) · no hva om (used to introduce speculation about future) · es qué tal si (used to introduce suggestion) · pl a jeśli (used to introduce suggestion) · es y si (used to introduce suggestion) · fi mitä jos (used to introduce speculation about past) · sv tänk om (used to introduce suggestion) · no hva om (used to introduce suggestion) · el και αν (used to introduce suggestion) · ang hwæt ġif (used to introduce speculation about past) · ang hū ġif (used to introduce speculation about past) · fi mitä jos (used to introduce speculation about future) · cs co takhle (used to introduce suggestion) · cmn 萬一 /万一 (used to introduce speculation about future) · nan 萬不二 /万不二 (used to introduce speculation about past) · lzh 何如 (used to introduce suggestion) · es qué pasaría si (used to introduce speculation about future) · tr peki ya (used to introduce suggestion) · yue 萬一 /万一 (used to introduce speculation about future) · nan 萬不二 /万不二 (used to introduce speculation about future) · sv tänk om (used to introduce speculation about past) · hu mi lenne, ha (used to introduce speculation about future) · lzh 莫如 (used to introduce suggestion) · pt que tal (used to introduce suggestion) · sv tänk om (used to introduce speculation about future) · ang hū ġif (used to introduce suggestion) · cs co kdyby (used to introduce speculation about past) · fi entä jos (used to introduce speculation about past) · yue 萬一 /万一 (used to introduce speculation about past) · ang hū ġif (used to introduce speculation about future) · ang hwæt ġif (used to introduce suggestion)