To talk about something that is not actually the case, Greek puts a past tense on BOTH sides of the sentence: αν with the imperfect or aorist in the if-clause, and θα with a past tense in the result (Αν είχα χρόνο, θα ερχόμουν). For something that can no longer happen, both verbs move to the past perfect (Αν το ήξερα, θα το είχα κάνει). The particle θα belongs only to the result clause.
Examples
- Αν ανακυκλώναμε περισσότερο, θα είχαμε λιγότερα σκουπίδια.
- If we recycled more, we would have less rubbish.
- Αν δεν είχαμε καθυστερήσει, θα είχαμε προλάβει το τρένο.
- If we had not been delayed, we would have caught the train.
- Αν ήμουν στη θέση σου, θα μιλούσα με τον διευθυντή.
- If I were in your position, I would speak to the manager.
The mistake to avoid
Never put θα after αν: «αν θα είχα χρόνο» is wrong. The if-clause takes a bare past tense and θα appears only in the result.
Where this fits in
Περιβάλλον και κλιματική αλλαγή, Greek B2: Discuss the climate, pollution, energy and recycling, and argue about how a city could live more sustainably.