2019/7/17 How Conditionals Work in Japanese: …と, …ば, …たら, and …なら

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How Conditionals Work in Japanese: …と, …

ば, …たら, and …なら
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に ほん りょこう に ほん ご べんきょう
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る (Iʼm studying Japanese to travel to Japan).” The variety of your expressions are certainly
increasing now. Then, if you would like to say, “If you travel Japan, you should study Japanese,”
how should it be? In this lesson, you will learn how to express conditionals. How to Write Emails in Japan
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…と: Constant Results and Actual Conditions Conjugation 146,891 PV
…ば: Hypothetical Conditions
…たら: One-Time Results Japanese Graded Readers (JL
…なら: Contextual Conditions 陽 / The North Wind and the
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When it comes to expressing conditionals in English, the word: “if” has a very important role. Beginners 77,710 PV
However, Japanese has four words which are the counterpart to “if.” They are …と, …ば, …た
ら, and …なら. The proper one will be determined by relations between conditional clauses and Japanese Grammar Exercise
main clauses. Thus, Japanese conditionals may be more complicated than English one. Letʼs Instantaneous Composition M
tackle the usages step by step. Got a question?

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2019/7/17 How Conditionals Work in Japanese: …と, …ば, …たら, and …なら

…と: Constant Results and Actual Conditions Nominalizers: こと and の 68

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春になると 桜 が（咲く / 咲きます）

Condition Constant Result

If it becomes spring, cherry blossoms will come out.

The first function is to express constant results. The conjugation is just to attach the plain Latest Posts

(dictionary) form to と. When you use nouns and na-adjectives, you need to attach だ like 春だ
Learn about お笑い (Owarai,
と. By constant results, we mean that itʼs an unchanged fact, e.g. one plus one is always two.
Japanese
You can use this for natural phenomenons, habitual actions, programmed actions, etc.

あめ ふ すず
How to Communicate Non-Ve
⾬が降ると涼しく（なる / なります）。
If [it] rains, [it] will get cool. How to use the particles “は”
なか す た た は” in Japanese
お腹が空くとパンを（⾷べる / ⾷べます）。
If [I] become hungry, [I] will eat bread.
The Difference Between the
シリ はな へん じ
“へ”
Siriに話しかけると返 事を（する / します）。
If [I] talk to Siri, [she] will reply.
How to use Abbreviated Nou
び じん
美 ⼈だと（モテる / モテます）。 Japanese

If [you] are a beautiful woman, [you] will be popular.

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The second function is to express actual conditions. This might be rather close to “and then” or
“when” in English. In this context, と is often used when you introduce something that happened
in the past. Learn Three New Idioms in J

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新 幹 線に乗ると富⼠ ⼭が⾒え（た / ました）。 Japanese
When [I] took the bullet train, Mt. Fuji was visible.
まつ い
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祭りに⾏くとボブが（いた / いました）。
[I] went to the festival and then [I] found Bob (Lit. Bob was there).
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しつもん せんせい おし
質 問すると先 ⽣はすぐに教えてくれ（た / ました）。 Translation

When [I] asked, the teacher taught [me] [it] right away.

This has another function which is to express sequential actions in the past. When you compare
the usages between と and the te-form (sequential actions), と is more suitable to describe
other people than yourself while て can describe yourself. Note: these are not conditional.

さかな か す し つく つく
⿂ を買って、寿司を（作った / 作りました）。
[I] bought fish and made Sushi.
さかな か す し つく つく
⿂ を買うと、寿司を（作った / 作りました）。
=> Unnatural!
さかな か す し つく つく
ボブは ⿂ を買って、寿司を（作った / 作りました）。
=> Natural!
さかな か す し つく つく
ボブは ⿂ を買うと、寿司を（作った / 作りました）。
=> Natural!

…ば: Hypothetical Conditions

Here, you have to tackle a new conjugation rule, which is called the ば-form. First, take a look at
the following table to learn the conjugation. Then, learn the function that the ば-form has.
Got a question?

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2019/7/17 How Conditionals Work in Japanese: …と, …ば, …たら, and …なら

All Verbs: To Replace the last u with eba

Plain Form ば-form

⾒る (miru) ⾒れば (mireba)

Ru-verb
着る (kiru) 着れば (kireba)

書く (kaku) 書けば (kakeba)

U-verb
話す (hanasu) 話せば (hanaseba)

する (suru) すれば (sureba)

Exception
来る (kuru) 来れば (kureba)

I-adjectives: To Replace the last い with ければ

Plain Form ば-form

かわいい かわいければ
I-adjectives
さむい さむければ

Na-adjectives and Nouns: To Attach であれば

Plain Form ば-form

げん き げん き
Na-adjective 元気 元 気であれば
び じん び じん
Noun 美⼈ 美 ⼈であれば

Examples

たいふう く がっこう やす
台 ⾵が来れば 学 校は休み（だ / です）

Hypothetical Condition Result

If a typhoon has come, [our] school will be closed.

The function is to express hypothetical conditions like if a hypothesis comes true, X will happen.
This indicate that you place priority on the conditional clauses rather than the main clauses.

うん ごうかく
運がよければ合 格（する / します）よ。
[You] will pass [it] if [you] are lucky.
くすり の なお おも おも
薬 を飲めば治ると（思う / 思います）。
[I] think [I] will recover if [I] take the medicine.
めんきょ と くるま か か
免 許を取れば ⾞ を（買う / 買います）。
If [I] get a driverʼs license, [I] will buy a car.

…たら: One-Time Results

じゅういち じ しゅっぱつ
１ １ 時になったら 出 発（しよう / しましょう）

Condition One-Time Result Got a question?

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2019/7/17 How Conditionals Work in Japanese: …と, …ば, …たら, and …なら
If it comes 11 oʼclock, letʼs leave.

The function is to express a one-time or a particular result. This has the widest usage and thus
we can say たら is most common to express conditionals. The conjugation is to attach ら to the
ta-form. By using this, you can express both actual and hypothetical conditions, e.g. １１時に
なる must come true and thus we define it as actual conditions.

Actual Conditions

なつ き に ほん い い
夏が来たら⽇ 本に（⾏く / ⾏きます）。
If the summer comes, [I] will go to Japan.
とし と いなか す す
歳を取ったら⽥舎に（住む / 住みます）。
If [I] get old, [I] will live in a rural area.

Hypothetical Conditions

し けん う な おも おも
試 験に受かったら泣くと（思う / 思います）。
[I] think [I] will cry if [I] pass the exam.
に ほん き さくら み
⽇ 本に来たら 桜 が⾒られ（る / ます）よ。
If [you] come to Japan, [you] can see cherry blossoms.

You can replace …たら with と when conditions are actual and …ば when conditions are
hypothetical. Considering the characteristics, …と is more suitable for when results are
constant and …ば is more suitable for when speakers focus on the conditional part.

あめ ふ すず
⾬が降ると涼しく（なる / なります）
あめ ふ すず
⾬が降ったら涼しく（なる / なります）

うん ごうかく
運がよければ合 格（する / します）よ。
うん ごうかく
運がよかったら合 格（する / します）よ。

…たら often appears when you express volition, requests, invitations, etc. Itʼs because the
results should be a one-time or a particular one. In this context, …と is not interchangeable.

じ かん かんこう
時 間があったら観 光したい（です）。
[I] want to go sightseeing if there is time.
て つだ
よかったら⼿ 伝ってくれ（ない / ませんか）？
Can/could [you] help [me] if it is alright?
の うんてん
飲んだら運 転するな。
If [you] drank, donʼt drive [a car].
は こうえん い い
晴れたら公 園に（⾏かない / ⾏きませんか）？
If [it] clears up, wonʼt [you] go to the park?

In this context, …ば is interchangeable only when the conditional clause indicates states such
as constant states and the potential form, or subjects in the conditional clause are different
from ones in the main clause.

じ かん かんこう
時 間があったら観 光したい（です）。
[I] want to go sightseeing if there is time.
じ かん かんこう
時 間があれば観 光したい（です）。
=> Natural! Because ある indicate constant states.
の うんてん
飲んだら運 転するな。 Got a question?

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2019/7/17 How Conditionals Work in Japanese: …と, …ば, …たら, and …なら
If [you] drink, donʼt drive [a car].
の うんてん
飲めば運 転するな。
=> Wrong! Because the subject of 飲む and 運転 is the same.

…なら: Contextual Conditions

い ぼく い い
ケンが⾏くなら 僕も（⾏く / ⾏きます）

Condition Result

If Ken goes, I will go, too.

*Said when Ken says “I will go to the festival.”

The function is to respond to someone in a given context. Regarding the other conditional
words, you can set a context by yourself. However, you can use …なら only when given a
context. With the above example, Ken first said “I will go to the festival,” and then you respond
to it like “If you said so…” and “if that is the case…” The conjugation is just to attach なら to
the plain (dictionary) form or the ta-form, which is the only one case that you can attach
conditional words to the two forms. Note: You donʼt attach だ when you use nouns and na-
adjectives.

に ほん ご はな ひと
⽇ 本 語を話せる⼈は（いる / いますか）？
Is there a person who can speak Japanese?
に ほん ご はな
⽇ 本 語ならボブが話せ（る / ます）よ。
If [youʼre talking about] Japanese, Bob can speak [it].

に ほん ご まん が よ
⽇ 本 語の漫 画を読んでみたい（です）。
[I] want to try to read Japanese manga.
よ わたし か か
読みたいなら 私 のを（貸そう / 貸しましょう）か？
If [you] want to read, shall [I] lend mine?

Contexts can be given not only in conversation, but also with actions. The following examples
are said when you find a person who is about to leave.

で かぎ し
出かけるなら鍵を閉めて（ください）。
Please lock the door if [you] go out.
か もの たまご か
買い物なら 卵 を買ってきて（ください）。
Please buy eggs if [you go] shopping.

Japanese people sometimes add の or ん before なら. Especially, if you use the ta-form with な
ら, it will sound more natural.

に ほん りょう り つく つく
⽇ 本の 料 理をたくさん（作った / 作りました）。
[Iʼve] made a lot of Japanese cuisines.
つく わたし
たくさん作ったんなら 私 にもちょうだい。
If [youʼve] made a lot, please give me [some], too.

ひ こ
インドから引っ越して（きた / きました）。
[Iʼve] moved from India.
き に ほん さむ
インドから来たんなら⽇ 本は寒く（ない / ありませんか）？
If [youʼve] come from India, isnʼt Japan cold?
Got a question?

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2019/7/17 How Conditionals Work in Japanese: …と, …ば, …たら, and …なら

Practical Tips

You may be confused with the four ways of expressing “if.” Itʼs certainly not easy to properly use
them in conversation. Here is a practical tip.

(1) Try to Use …たら

Firstly, please try to use …たら. This has the widest usages of the four and is interchangeable
with …と and …ば. That is to say, you can make natural sentences except for when you need to
use なら.

(2) Try to Use …なら If You Respond to Someone in Given a Context

Secondly, please try to use なら if …たら didnʼt work well, i.e. if you respond to someone in
given a context. This is the case where you cannot use …たら.

(Optional) Confirm Whether There Are More Natural Ones

If you use …たら, there may be more natural expressions. When you focus on the conditional
clause, you should use …ば. When results are constant ones, you should use …と.

Related Expressions

もし: By Any Chance or If Any

うん ごうかく
もし運がよければ合 格（する / します）よ。
=> Natural!
で かぎ し
もし出かけるなら鍵を閉めて（ください）。
=> Natural!
あめ ふ すず
もし⾬が降ると涼しく（なる / なります）。
=> Unnatural!
なつ き に ほん い い
もし夏が来たら⽇ 本に（⾏く / ⾏きます）。
=> Unnatural!

もし gives a nuance of “by any chance” or “if any” to sentences. However, you cannot use it if
conditional clauses indicate actual conditions because it will definitely come true.

どう（ですか）？: How about…?

や さい
野 菜はどう（ですか）？
How about vegetables?
さかな た
⿂ を⾷べるのはどう（ですか）？
How about eating fishes?

どう（ですか） is the counterpart to “How about” in English. You can express suggestions like
きょう なに た
“how about doing [it]? This is generally used when you respond to someone, e.g. “今⽇は何を⾷
さかな
べる (What will we eat today)？” “ ⿂ はどう (how about fishes) ？”

にく た
⾁を⾷べればどう（ですか）？
How about eating meats?
にく た
⾁を⾷べたらどう（ですか）？ Got a question?

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2019/7/17 How Conditionals Work in Japanese: …と, …ば, …たら, and …なら
How about eating meats?

Your speech will sound advice or recommendations if you combine the conditional form: ば or た
ら with どうですか. Be careful; this may have a critical tone. You should use this when someone
seeks your advice. Otherwise, you should use this without ば and たら.

Summary

Constant Hypothetical One-Time Contextual

Results Conditions Results Conditions

と Suitable

ば Suitable

たら Acceptable Acceptable Suitable

なら Suitable

We know that the length of this lesson is long. Thus, please focus on the practical tips. Firstly,
please master the usage of たら and なら. After that, you can enhance your expressions to be
more natural. Conditionals are one of the most frequently used expression without doubt. Itʼs
worthwhile taking the time. Next you will learn a similar expression: Reverse Conditions.

PREV NEXT

How to Express Aims: …ために, …に, …の Reverse Conditions: …ても, …のに, and …
に, and …ように が・けど・けれど・けれども

Recommended Links

How to Express Permission and Advice: …てもいい and …⽅がいい

Nominalizers: こと and の
Explanatory のだ （んだ）
Japanese Nouns: State-of-Being
Particle で: Expressing Supplementary Information
Parallel Markers: と, や, か, and とか

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2019/7/17 How Conditionals Work in Japanese: …と, …ば, …たら, and …なら

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