Breakdown of Если завтра придут гости, мы повесим гирлянду у окна и быстро наведём порядок.
Questions & Answers about Если завтра придут гости, мы повесим гирлянду у окна и быстро наведём порядок.
Russian and English work differently here.
In Russian, when the condition is about the future, it is normal to use a future verb after если:
- Если завтра придут гости, мы...
In English, we usually use the present after if:
- If guests come tomorrow, we’ll...
So придут is not strange in Russian at all. It is the standard way to talk about a real future condition.
Because придут is the correct future form here, and it also matches the meaning of a single completed arrival.
- придут = will come / will arrive
- приходят = come / are coming in the present, or come regularly
With завтра, Russian normally wants a future form, not a present habitual form.
Also, прийти → придут is perfective, which fits a one-time event: the guests arrive, and then you react.