realis

Realis is a grammatical mood or cross-linguistic category used to mark statements that are presented as real, actual, or factual. In many languages, realis forms contrast with irrealis forms, which mark non-realized, hypothetical, potential, counterfactual, or contingent events. The distinction is usually not a fixed tense; instead it is a mood or modality that can interact with tense, aspect, evidentiality, and other grammatical layers.

Realisation can be through verb morphology, clitics, particles, or word order, depending on the language. It is often used to signal that the described state or event is asserted as true, known, or witnessed, such as routine facts, reported events, or events with evidential support. Irrealis covers possibilities, wishes, predictions, or hypothetical scenarios, frequently found in conditional clauses or future contingents.

Because the term realis is a label used in linguistic typology, the exact function and distribution of realis vary across languages. Some languages have a dedicated realis category; others employ mood systems with realis-irrealis contrasts alongside other modalities, or rely on evidential markers to express similar distinctions.

Examples (neutral): Realis: "She goes to the market every day." Irrealis: "If she were to go to the market, she would buy fruit." In actual usage, some realis forms mark reported facts or habitual events, while irrealis forms mark hypothetical or non-actual events.

See also: irrealis, mood, evidentiality, modality.