Conditionals

Introduction

Japanese has four main conditional forms, each suited to different situations. Understanding when to use たら versus ば versus と versus なら is one of the key challenges — and rewards — of basic Japanese grammar.

This chapter breaks down each pattern with clear examples.

Themes

All Japanese Grammar Basic in This Chapter (11)

1. ～たら (conditional) たら Indicates that the action or state in the preceding clause is a condition for the following clause. It can express either 'if' or 'when' ...
2. ～ば (conditional) ば Indicates that the preceding clause expresses a conditional. It presents a general or hypothetical condition that, if fulfilled, leads to...
3. ～と (conditional) と Marks a condition that brings about an uncontrollable, inevitable, or habitual result. It expresses natural consequences, automatic outco...
4. ～なら (conditional) なら Indicates that the preceding sentence is the speaker's supposition based on what has been heard or assumed. It is used to give advice, op...
5. ～ても (even if) ても Expresses that the result in the main clause holds true regardless of the condition in the preceding clause. It conveys 'even if' or 'eve...
6. ～たって (even if) たって A casual expression meaning 'even if someone did something or something were in some state, the desired result would not come about.' It ...
7. ～たらどうですか (how about) たらどうですか A phrase which expresses a suggestion, literally meaning 'how would you feel if you did something?' It is a polite way to recommend an ac...
8. ～ばよかった (should have) ばよかった A phrase which expresses the speaker's regret about not having done something or having done something undesirable. It means 'I should ha...
9. ～てもいい (permission) てもいい A phrase which expresses permission or concession, indicating that it is acceptable to do something. When used as a question, it asks for...
10. ～なければならない (must) なければならない Expresses obligation or necessity, indicating that someone must take an action or that something is required. It literally means 'if one ...
11. ～てはいけない (must not) てはいけない A phrase which indicates prohibition, expressing that an action is not allowed or must not be done.