Conditionals in Persian 2. - Counterfactual (impossible)

1. There are two main categories of conditionals: indicative (possible) and counterfactual (impossible). The current post is about the counterfactual (impossible) conditional.

The conditional is counterfactual when we discuss what would have been true under different circumstances. The condition (if clause) is a statement which is not true or impossible. 

A few English example: 
If I owned a car, I would drive to work.
If the weather wasn't so bad, we would go to the park.
If you had come to the party, we would have danced. 

2. In Persian past prograssive or past perfect can be used to describe the counterfactual conditional. 

اگر جوان بودم من هم می رقصیدم.

Agar javân budam man ham mi-raqsidam.

If I was young, I would dance too.

اگر فردا روز تولد دوستم نبود، می توانستم با تو بییام.

Agar fardâ ruz-e tavalod-e dustam nabud, mi-tavânestam ba to bi-âyam.

If tomorrow hadn't been my friend's birthday, I would have been able to come with you.

اگر او را بیشتر شناخته بودم هرگز با او همخانه نمی شدم.

Agar u râ bishtar shenâkhte budam hargez bâ u hamkhâne ne-mi-shodam.

If I had known him/her better, I would never become his/her roommate.

3. However, the past prograssive can be said to be more common.

اگر زودتر می رفتی، اتوبوس را از دست نمی دادی.

Agar zud-tar mi-rafti, otobus râ az dast ne-mi-dâdi.

If you had left earlier, you would not have missed the bus.

4. Persian does not distinguish the English second and the third conditional. It means that in certain cases only the context indicates whether we are talking about the present or the past.

اگر باران نمی بارید به پارک می رفتیم.

Agar bârân ne-mi-bârid be pârk mi-raftim.

can apply to both the present and the future

If it was not raining, we would go to the park.  /  If it hadn't rained, we would have gone to the park.