Questions & Answers about Da je danas ljeto, plivali bismo na plaži.
Why is the sentence using da je danas ljeto instead of ako je danas ljeto?
In this sentence, da je danas ljeto means “if it were summer today” – something contrary to reality (it is not summer today).
- da je here introduces an unreal/irrealis condition (similar to English “if only it were / if it were”).
- ako je normally introduces a real or possible condition (“if it is/if it will be”), like:
- Ako je danas ljeto, plivat ćemo na plaži. – If it is summer today, we will swim at the beach. (a real possibility)
So:
- Da je danas ljeto, plivali bismo… ≈ If it were summer today, we would be swimming… (imaginary)
- Ako je danas ljeto, plivat ćemo… ≈ If it is summer today, we’ll swim… (real/unknown)
Why is the verb je (present) used in da je danas ljeto, even though the whole situation is unreal?