elderguardiantv

[loud sleet]

Please be patient

Our volunteers look into many questions every day; sometimes it takes them a little while to answer.

Pro tip: you can rename the thread title with `.tr <thread name>`

Make it descriptive, including relevant context, but also to the point. This way you improve your chances of getting a more relevant and specific answer.

[cobalt orbit]

Bonjour, quand on utilise "si" ou "tellement" devant un adjectif, c'est l'équivalent du "so" en Anglais.
ex : c'est si / tellement bon = it's so good.

[robust steeple]

Donne un ou deux exemples.

Si has many many different meaning and uses.

There's no way to define it properly with a general case.

So it needs to be contextually answered.

[cobalt orbit]

Yes, you're right. The use of "si" I explained only works when preceding an adjective or adverb. For instance, at the beginning of a clause, the ‘si’ is similar to the English ‘if’: it introduces a condition.

[robust steeple]

Not necessarily, if I say Si tu veux, you could argue that there's an undisclosed condition, but it's hypothetical
In the same vein if I say Si je te le dis, same deal, perhaps it is, perhaps not, unclear, it's leaning toward it though
If I say Si on veut, still unclear whether it is a condition or not, and it's probably closer to be a conjunction agreeing with an interrogative clause
And then there's other cases that are often diverging pragmatically, if I say Mais si, tu vois., who knows what I'm talking about, it could be a condition, or it could just be a way to persuade someone

When it does introduce a condition that is grammatically explicit, it shouldn't ever mean tellement, thus if I say Mais si !, it does have the meaning, relatively enough, of Tellement, but it is never conditional.

But, it often has a conditional or concessional meaning, even when it's hard to expose clearly. Hence why we need context to understand it properly.

(I pressed enter accidentally.)

I think it's just as difficult to truly pinpoint the meaning of if in english, that could often be used in different contexts, just like si.

But often, yes, si could often be seen as if, that is definitely true.

(not arguing on that.)

I'm yapping though.

[cobalt orbit]

Wow I understand what you mean. You really thought deeply about this x).
I believe from a learner's perspective it might be easier to remember that si = "if" or "so" rather than focus on infinite nuances and details.