لولا

لَوْ‎ (law) +‎ لَا‎ (lā).

• IPA^(key): /law.laː/

لَوْلَا • (lawlā)

1. if not for
   • 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 34:31:

     ‏لَوۡلَاۤ أَنتُمۡ لَكُنَّا مُؤۡمِنِينَ‎

     lawlā ʔantum lakunnā muʔminīna

     If it weren't for you, we would have been believers

It is followed by a noun in the nominative case or a verb in the past tense. Pronouns can be either in nominative or genitive case:

• ‏لَوْلَا ٱلنِّيلُ لَأَصْبَحَتْ مِصْرُ صَحْرَاءَ‎

  lawlā n-nīlu laʔaṣbaḥat miṣru ṣaḥrāʔa

  If it weren't for Nile, Egypt would be a desert.

• ‏لَوْلَا أَنَا / لَوْلَايَ‎

  lawlā ʔanā / lawlāya

  if not for me

لو‎ (law, “if”) +‎ لا‎ (la, “not”).

• IPA^(key): /loː.la/, [ˈloː.la]

• Audio (Ramallah)

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لولا • (lōla)

1. if ... not (hypothetical condition)

• Although لولا (lōla) implies the negation, it can be optionally followed by the negation particle ما‎ (ma) without changing the meaning.