if only

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU)

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Conjunction

if only

1. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see if,‎ only.

   It made me feel better, if only for a moment.

   It won't be much fun if only guys turn up to the party.

2. (idiomatic) I wish that; signifies a wish or desire for the present or the future.

   If only I could win the lottery.

   My gambling ex could come to his senses, if only.

3. (idiomatic) I wish that; signifies a regret about an action in the past.

   If only I had ​listened to my parents.

   We didn't have that luxury. If only!

4. (idiomatic) Even if for no other reason than; only just.

   I was pretty sure what I wanted, but I still tried on another if only to make sure.

5. (idiomatic) Signifies a hypothetical or wishful precondition, or one which would be simple but is nonetheless unlikely, for a hypothetical, counterfactual, or future outcome.

   He could be a great student if only he got [or: if he only got] a little non-judgmental encouragement.

   If you'd only quit interrupting me, I'll tell you!

Antonyms

• God forbid

Translations

signifies a wish or desire for the present or the future

• Arabic: لَيْتَ (ar) (layta), تَمَنَّى (tamannā) (a sentence in subjunctive mood follows)
• Armenian: երանի (hy) (erani)
• Catalan: tant de bo (ca), si (ca), si només, si tan sols, encara bo (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 但願／但愿 (zh) (dànyuàn), ...就好了 (jiù hǎo le)

• Czech: kéž by, kéž (cs)
• Danish: gid
• Dutch: was het maar zo dat, or use auxiliary hebben (nl) with inversion and maar (nl)
• Finnish: jos vain, kunpa
• French: si seulement (fr), pour peu que (fr)
• German: wenn auch, wenn doch nur, wenn bloß
• Gothic: 𐍅𐌰𐌹𐌽𐌴𐌹 (wainei)
• Greek: είθε (el) (eíthe), μακάρι (el) (makári)

  Ancient: ὄφελον (óphelon), εἴθε (eíthe)

• Hebrew: הַלְוַאי (halevái), מִי יִתֵּן (he) (mi yitén)
• Hindi: काश (hi) (kāś)
• Hungarian: bár (hu), bárcsak (hu)
• Italian: magari (it), mi piacerebbe, se solo
• Japanese: (conditional sentence + ii noni (nā)) -ばいいのになあ (-ba ii noni nā), -らいいのになあ (-ra ii noni nā), -ならいいのになあ (-nara ii noni nā), -よいものを (yoi mono o)
• Kurdish:

  Northern Kurdish: xwezî (ku)

• Latin: utinam (la)
• Malay: sekira, semoga, kalaulah
• Marathi: जर का (jar kā)
• Old English: ēalā
• Persian: کاش (fa) (kâš)
• Polish: jeśli by, jeśliby, o ile (pl), byle (pl), bodaj (pl)
• Portuguese: oxalá (pt), tomara (que) (pt), quem me dera (que), quem dera (que) (a sentence in the subjunctive mood follows)
• Russian: хоте́лось бы (xotélosʹ by), е́сли бы то́лько (jésli by tólʹko), е́сли бы (ru) (jésli by), кабы (ru) (kaby), будь (ru) (budʹ)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: да бар, само да

  Roman: da bar, samo da

• Slovene: če bi le
• Spanish: ojalá (es), si (es), si tan solo, si tan siquiera
• Turkish: keşke (tr)
• Ukrainian: я́кби (uk) (jákby)
• Yiddish: הלוואי (halevay, alevay)

signifies a regret about an action in the past

even if for no other reason than

• French: ne fût-ce que (fr), ne serait-ce que (fr)
• Hungarian: ha másért nem (is), (csak/csupán/pusztán/mindössze) azért,…
• Portuguese: quanto mais não seja

signifies a hypothetical or wishful precondition

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Albanian: ^{(please verify)} të paktën (sq)
• Interlingua: ^{(please verify)} si al minus

See also

• Appendix:English examples of anapodoton

References

• “if only”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

Anagrams

• only if