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Is there a way to say

if you had come to the meeting... ,

in other words the untrue condition, as opposed to :

if you have come to the meeting... ,

the mere if clause? I used to think it was 假如, but dictionary examples suggest otherwise. For example:

假如有這必要, 就這麼幹吧。

EDIT:

If you use context to express this difference, please provide examples! I would really appreciate an explanation in English (apart from the examples). My Chinese is basic and if I have to translate I only get the basics.

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  • unreality of condition to be deduced from context, cf. e.g. 虚拟条件句的三种基本类型 yygrammar.com/Article/200802/202.html
    – user6065
    Aug 3, 2016 at 19:36
  • find 100 example sentences for "If I had" also for "If I knew", etc. at jukuu
    – user6065
    Aug 3, 2016 at 23:18
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    see grammars，e。g。＂外国人实用汉语语法＂复句｜偏正复句｜（三）条件关系（conditional) vs。（四）假设关系（hypothetical)（三）一个分句（偏句）提出条件，另一个分句（正句）说明在这条件下产生的结果。例如：不管前排后排的话，你都替我买一张。只要是星期天，我就有时间。只有努力工作，才不辜负人民的培养。我一感冒，就发烧。（四）一个分句（偏句）提出一个假设的情况，另一个分句（正句）说明由假设情况产生的结果或推论。例如：要是你门有兴趣，我就陪你们去公园。大家如果有意见，就提出来。即使我病了，也一定参加这次大型的演出活动。便正复句中常用的关联词，列入如下：条件关系：不管。。。，都（也）。。。｜不论。。。，都（也）。。。｜无论。。。，都（也）。。。｜只要。。。，就。。。｜只有。。。，才。。。｜除非。。。｜才。。。｜一。。。，就。。。｜假设关系：要是。。。，就。。。｜如果。。。，就。。。｜假如。。。｜就。。。｜假使。。。，就。。。 Also search web using "英语虚拟语气怎么翻译" and "how to translate subjunctive into Chinese"-> e.g.academypublication.com/issues/past/tpls/vol02/01/26.pdf
    – user6065
    Aug 4, 2016 at 13:20
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    context: OP please provide contexts, which would not distinguish between real and unreal conditions, in following examples, context does tell (more or less) if you have come to the meeting, tell me who was there. if you had come to the meeting, you could tell me who was there. In any case context often does tell.
    – user6065
    Aug 4, 2016 at 13:48
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    @Ludi have (already) would be more like 已经X | like I (have) already heard you 我已经听到了 vs if you had listened 你要是听了…
    – Mou某 ♦
    Aug 4, 2016 at 16:20

1 Answer 1

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you may consider "倘若", "假如", or "假使"

http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/cgi-bin/cbdic/gsweb.cgi?o=dcbdic&searchid=Z00000051670

http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/cgi-bin/cbdic/gsweb.cgi?o=dcbdic&searchid=Z00000089761

http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/cgi-bin/cbdic/gsweb.cgi?o=dcbdic&searchid=Z00000089751

but, the chinese language is "fuzzy", these terms do not absolutely indicate an untrue condition in the clause; they just merely imply such.

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  • I would really appreciate an explanation in English (apart from the examples). My Chinese is basic and if I have to translate I only get the basics.
    – Ludi
    Aug 4, 2016 at 13:56

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