idomatic use with imperative
ok, so i remembered this the other day, and also remembered that i wasn't %100 on usage etc.
the book says that the informal form of the imperative can be used idiomatically to mean 'if...'
eg:
будь я на твоем месте, я бы ушла от нее
if i were in your place, i would leave her
знай они, что...
if they knew that...
i haven't seen this construction come up before, so is it used often? are there any instances where it would be better to use this construction?
thanx
Re: idomatic use with imperative
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lt. columbo
i haven't seen this construction come up before, so is it used often?
Very often.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lt. columbo
are there any instances where it would be better to use this construction?
You can use this construction interchangeably with "если бы" freely.
будь я на твоем месте = если бы я была на твоем месте
знай они = если бы они знали
As you can see this construction is shorter than with "если бы" so it used in everyday speech widely.