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If se means if, then what's the word for then?

by GorkiT, August 13, 2014

Messages: 6

Language: English

GorkiT (User's profile) August 13, 2014, 4:47:55 PM

I still can't seem to find one. Is there even one at all? How would you form the comparative then? Thanks for your help in advance!

Pli bona malvivas ol ruĝas.

sergejm (User's profile) August 13, 2014, 5:54:55 PM

Komputada Leksikono proposes this translation of "if" statement: seo
SE ... TIAM ... ALIE ...

Fenris_kcf (User's profile) August 13, 2014, 6:23:09 PM

I use "tiukaze" for "then" in this case.

haydn (User's profile) August 13, 2014, 6:48:48 PM

Then = "tiam"

Don't you agree?

But why do you need the word "then", when often you don't even use it in English?

"Se mi posedus orminon, mi aĉetus plej multekostan Feraron."
If I would own a goldmine, I would buy the most expensive Ferrari.

Usually such a short explanation doesn't remove one's uncertainty, I know. But I'm neither teacher nor linguist. Have you consulted PMEG?

nigrarozo (User's profile) August 13, 2014, 8:14:29 PM

Se mi estas "rozo" kaj ankaux "nigra", tial mi estas Nigraroz☻.

sudanglo (User's profile) August 14, 2014, 8:10:29 AM

In Esperanto as in English, quite often there is no expression of the idea of 'then' in the dependent part of a 'se' sentence. But 'tiam' can be used if you want to put in a 'then'.

The wider issue of the translation of 'then' was recently discussed in the Esperanto Forum 'Questions'. I quote below

Marŝu al la bushaltejo, tiam atendu la buson.

Mi trovas tion tute bona.

Ekzemploj el la Tekstaro:

Venu morgaŭ, tiam vi ricevos novjaran donacon
Iru kaj rigardu, kie li estas, tiam mi sendos kaj prenos lin
rakontu al mi la sonĝon, tiam mi konvinkiĝos
Semu al vi justecon, tiam vi rikoltos amon

Tiam havas la sencojn (tiam has the meanings)

1. En tiu tempo (at that time)

2. Je tiu okazo, sub tiuj kondiĉoj.(on that event, under those circumstances)
Se mi estas "rozo" kaj ankaux "nigra", tial mi estas Nigraroz
The Se doesn't sit well here. The sentence can stand without the 'se'.

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