Japanese grammar · Intermediate (B1)
Conditionals: ～ば, ～たら, ～と, ～なら
The four ways to say “if” in Japanese, how to form them, when to use which, and unreal conditions like ～ば～のに and ～ていれば.
Four ways to say “if”
Japanese has four conditional forms. ～たら (-tara): the plain past + ら. ～ば (-ba): u-verbs change their last sound to the e row + ば (, ikeba); ru-verbs replace る with ～れば (, tabereba); い-adjectives replace い with ～ければ (, yasukereba); negatives end in ～なければ (-nakereba). ～と (-to): the dictionary form + . ～なら (-nara): the plain form or a noun + .
For な-adjectives and nouns, the ～ば form is (nara) itself, or the formal (de areba).
| Word | ～たら | ～ば | ～と | ～なら |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (iku), go | (ittara) | (ikeba) | (iku to) | (iku nara) |
| (taberu), eat | (tabetara) | (tabereba) | (taberu to) | (taberu nara) |
| (suru), do | (shitara) | (sureba) | (suru to) | (suru nara) |
| (kuru), come | (kitara) | (kureba) | (kuru to) | (kuru nara) |
| (ikanai), not go | (ikanakattara) | (ikanakereba) | (ikanai to) | (ikanai nara) |
| (yasui), cheap | (yasukattara) | (yasukereba) | (yasui to) | (yasui nara) |
| (shizuka), quiet | (shizuka dattara) | (shizuka nara) | (shizuka da to) | (shizuka nara) |
| (ame), rain | (ame dattara) | (ame nara) | (ame da to) | (ame nara) |
～たら: the all-rounder
～たら is the most common conditional in conversation and works almost everywhere. It means “if”, and also “when, once” for something that will certainly happen: (eki ni tsuitara denwa shite kudasai), please call me when you get to the station. After ～たら, you can ask, suggest, invite or say what you'll do.
In a story about the past, ～たら introduces a discovery: (ie ni kaettara, nimotsu ga todoite ita), when I got home, the parcel had arrived. It also appears in hopes, ～たらいいな (-tara ii na), and advice, ～たらどう？ (-tara dō?).
- 大学に受かったら、カナダに留学したい。Daigaku ni ukattara, Kanada ni ryūgaku shitai.If I get into university, I want to study in Canada.
- 時間があったら、手伝ってくれない？Jikan ga attara, tetsudatte kurenai?If you have time, could you help me?
- 明日晴れたらいいな。Ashita haretara ii na.I hope it's sunny tomorrow.
～ば, ～と and ～なら
～ば focuses on the condition: “if (and only if) this happens”. It is common in general statements and in ～ばいい (-ba ii), what you should do: (dō sureba ii desu ka), what should I do? With an action verb, avoid requests or invitations after ～ば; use ～たら.
～と is for results that follow automatically, every time: machines, nature, directions, habits. (kono botan o osu to, dengen ga hairimasu), if you press this button, it turns on. It can't be followed by a request, a wish or an invitation.
～なら means “if that's the case” or “if it's about”. It usually picks up what the other person has just said and gives advice: (Kyōto ni iku nara, aki ga ii desu yo), if you're going to Kyoto, autumn is a good time.
- よく休めば、すぐ治りますよ。Yoku yasumeba, sugu naorimasu yo.If you rest well, you'll get better quickly.
- この道をまっすぐ行くと、右に郵便局があります。Kono michi o massugu iku to, migi ni yūbinkyoku ga arimasu.If you go straight along this road, there's a post office on the right.
- パソコンを買うなら、駅前の店が安いですよ。Pasokon o kau nara, ekimae no mise ga yasui desu yo.If you're buying a computer, the shop by the station is cheap.
Which one to use
When in doubt, use ～たら. The table shows where the others fit better or where they can't be used.
| Situation | Best choice | Example |
|---|---|---|
| once something happens, then … | ～たら | (owattara kaerimasu), I'll go home when I've finished |
| asking what to do | ～ば, ～たら | (dō sureba ii desu ka), what should I do? |
| automatic result, instructions, directions | ～と | (haru ni naru to sakura ga saku), when spring comes, the cherry trees bloom |
| advice about what the other person said | ～なら | (sushi nara, ano mise ga ii), if it's sushi you want, that place is good |
| a surprising discovery in the past | ～たら, ～と | (mado o aketara, yuki ga futte ita), I opened the window and it was snowing |
Unreal conditions (B2)
To talk about what could have happened but didn't, combine a conditional with a past result. ～ていれば … ～ただろう (-te ireba … -ta darō): (motto hayaku taisaku shite ireba, konna ni yogorenakatta darō), if we had taken action earlier, it wouldn't have got this dirty. In speech, ～たら … ～ていた is common: (ato gofun osokattara, noriokurete ita), five minutes later and I would have missed it.
～ば … ～のに expresses regret or frustration about something that isn't so: (motto jikan ga areba ii noni), if only I had more time. ～ばよかった (-ba yokatta) means “I should have”: (kasa o motte kureba yokatta), I should have brought an umbrella.
- みんながごみを分別すれば、もっときれいになるのに。Minna ga gomi o bunbetsu sureba, motto kirei ni naru noni.If only everyone sorted their rubbish, it would be so much cleaner.
- 天気予報を見ていれば、雨に降られなかったのに。Tenki yohō o mite ireba, ame ni furarenakatta noni.If I'd checked the forecast, I wouldn't have been caught in the rain.
- もっと勉強しておけばよかった。Motto benkyō shite okeba yokatta.I wish I'd studied more.