si
“si” — if only (had) in Valencian. Phrase, level B1, topic — basic words. The if of the subjunctive; if I had free time, I would learn a third language. In a live sentence: “Si tingués temps lliure, aprendria un tercer idioma” — If I had free time, I would learn a third language. One of 110 words in the set “basic words” in the Valencian course.
In short
| Written in Valencian | si |
| Translation | if only (had) |
| Part of speech | phrase |
| Level | B1 |
Why it looks that way
The if of the subjunctive; if I had free time, I would learn a third language
A word with a story stays in memory longer than one learned as a “spelling — translation” pair: memory holds on to meaning, not to a string.
In a live sentence
A single word almost never appears alone in conversation. A sentence shows where it fits and what stands next to it.
- Si tingués temps lliure, aprendria un tercer idiomaIf I had free time, I would learn a third language
Nearby words: basic words
Yes, no, good, bad, very. The small change of a language — and no sentence assembles without it.
- síyesSí with an accent is yes; si without one is if. Only the written mark tells them apart
- nonoOne word serves as no and as the negation before a verb: no entenc — I don't understand
- béwellThe adverb: it answers how. The adjective good is bo, and before a noun it even shrinks: bon dia
- malamentbadlyThe partner of bé. Bad about a thing is dolent: el temps és dolent — the weather is foul
- molt bévery wellMolt means very and stands right before the word it boosts
- més o menysso-soLiterally more or less. The same phrase means about: més o menys vint — about twenty
- el metremeter (unit)The meter; the jump was two of them, not a centimeter more
- el centímetrecentimeterThe centimeter; the child grew three of them in a year
- el quilòmetrekilometerThe kilometer; from the town to the beach there are five
- el litreliterFrom the Greek litra — a unit of weight, become a measure of volume. Buy a liter of milk, please
Test yourself
Five questions from the same set — “basic words”. Recalling a spelling from meaning is harder than knowing a familiar word on sight, and therefore more useful.
- How do you say “if only (had)” in Valencian?
The if of the subjunctive; if I had free time, I would learn a third language
- How do you say “meter (unit)” in Valencian?
The meter; the jump was two of them, not a centimeter more
- How do you say “well” in Valencian?
The adverb: it answers how. The adjective good is bo, and before a noun it even shrinks: bon dia
- How do you say “liter” in Valencian?
From the Greek litra — a unit of weight, become a measure of volume. Buy a liter of milk, please
- How do you say “so-so” in Valencian?
Literally more or less. The same phrase means about: més o menys vint — about twenty
How not to forget this word
Reading a word and remembering it are different jobs. A day later, little survives of a single reading — and that is not bad memory, that is how memory works.
- This has been tested on foreign words too. The difference shows up most when you test yourself a few days later rather than straight away.checked many timesKim & Webb, 2022, Language Learning 72(2) · 48 experiments, 3,411 participants, 98 comparisons.
- Recalling beats re-reading. Covering the translation and trying to remember it does more than reading it ten more times.checked many timesAdesope, Trevisan & Sundararajan, 2017, Review of Educational Research 87(3) · 188 experiments, 272 comparisons. g = 0.61; against plain re-reading 0.51, against passive review 0.93.
- An answer you worked out yourself sticks better than one handed to you.checked many timesBertsch et al., 2007, Memory & Cognition 35(2) · 86 studies, 445 comparisons, d = 0.40.
Frequently asked
How do you say “if only (had)” in Valencian?
«si». In a live sentence: “Si tingués temps lliure, aprendria un tercer idioma” — If I had free time, I would learn a third language. Phrase, level B1, from the set “basic words”.
Why does this word look the way it does?
The if of the subjunctive; if I had free time, I would learn a third language. A word with a story stays in memory longer than a “spelling — translation” pair: memory holds on to meaning, not to a string.