ha a nagyanyámnak kereke volna, gurulna

• Instead of a nagyanyámnak (“my grandmother”), the following variants also occur: nagyanyámnak (without article), (a) nagymamámnak, (az) öreganyámnak (also “my grandmother”) as well as (a) nénikémnek, (a) nagynénikémnek (“my aunt”). A nagypapámnak (“my grandfather”) occurs with talicska (“wheelbarrow”).
• Before kereke volna (“had wheels”), the numerals négy (“4”) or hat (“6”) can occur.
• The words és áramszedője (“and pantographs”) may be added after kereke.
• The word volna may be replaced by lenne.
• After volna (or lenne), és csilingelne (“and clanged”) may be added.
• After the comma, akkor (“then”) can occur without any change in meaning.
• Instead of gurulna, ő volna/lenne/lehetne a villamos/trolibusz/gőzmozdony or ő volna/lenne/lehetne az omnibusz (“she would/​could be a tram/​trolley-bus/​steam-locomotive/​omnibus”) are also possible, as well as omnibusznak neveznék (“she would be called an omnibus”).

ha (“if”) + a (“the”) + nagyanya (“grandmother”) +‎ -m (“my”, possessive suffix) +‎ -nak (“to”, dative suffix) + kerék (“wheel”) +‎ -e (“her”, possessive suffix) + volna (“there would be; if [she] had”) + gurul (“roll”) +‎ -na (“would”, conditional suffix).

Literally, “If my grandmother had a wheel [or: wheels], she would roll.”

• IPA^(key): [ˌhɒɒ ˈnɒɟɒɲaːmnɒk ˈkɛrɛkɛvolnɒ ˈɡurulnɒ]

ha a nagyanyámnak kereke volna, gurulna

1. (idiomatic) if my aunt had balls, she’d be my uncle, if pigs had wings they would fly, if wishes were horses, beggars would ride, if ifs and ans were pots and pans, there’d be no work for tinkers’ hands (there is no point in discussing unreal and/or impossible scenarios)