Если мы выйдем пораньше, мы дойдём до вокзала пешком.

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Breakdown of Если мы выйдем пораньше, мы дойдём до вокзала пешком.

• мы: we
• вокзал: the station
• выйти: to leave

Questions & Answers about Если мы выйдем пораньше, мы дойдём до вокзала пешком.

Why is выйдем used after если? In English we say if we leave early, not if we will leave early.

In Russian, after если (if), you normally use a verb form that looks like the future when you are talking about a real future condition:

Если мы выйдем пораньше, мы дойдём...

Literally, both verbs are future: if we leave / when we leave, we will get there.

This is normal Russian grammar. English avoids will in the if-clause, but Russian does not work that way.

So:

• Если мы выйдем... = If we leave...
• Если он придёт... = If he comes...
• Если они позвонят... = If they call...

Why is it выйдем and not будем выходить?

Выйдем is perfective, and here Russian wants a completed single action: if we leave / once we have set out.

• выйдем = we will go out / leave as one complete action
• будем выходить would mean something more like we will be in the process of leaving or repeated/ongoing action, which does not fit well here

In this sentence, the idea is:

1. first we leave earlier,
2. then as a result we will reach the station on foot.

So perfective выйдем is the natural choice.

What does пораньше mean exactly? Is it the same as рано?