If This, Then That: Basic Conditionals (ば, なら)
If This, Then That: Basic Conditionals (ば, なら)
Japanese has several ways to express "if" or conditional statements. Two of the most common and fundamental are ば (ba) and なら (nara). This lesson introduces their basic usage, subtle differences, and provides numerous examples to aid your understanding. Mastering these conditionals is crucial for expressing more complex and nuanced ideas in Japanese.
1. ば (ba) Conditionals: Expressing General Conditions and Natural Consequences
The ば conditional is used to express a general condition, logical consequence, or natural outcome. Think of it as "If A happens in general, then B will happen." It's often used for expressing cause and effect, habits, and possibilities.
How to Form the ば-Form:
The key to using ば is transforming the verb or adjective into its ば-form. Here's a breakdown:
Verbs:
Group 1 (u-verbs / consonant-stem verbs): Change the final u sound to its corresponding e sound and add ば. This changes the verb ending from column ウ to column エ in hiragana.
- Example: 書く (kaku, to write) → 書けば (kakeba)
- Example: 泳ぐ (oyogu, to swim) → 泳げば (oyogeba)
- Example: 遊ぶ (asobu, to play) → 遊べば (asobeba)
- Example: 話す (hanasu, to speak) → 話せば (hanaseba)
- Example: 待つ (matsu, to wait) → 待てば (mateba)
- Example: 死ぬ (shinu, to die) → 死ねば (shineba)
- Example: 読む (yomu, to read) → 読めば (yomeba)
- Example: 帰る (kaeru, to return) → 帰れば (kaereba)
- Example: 切る (kiru, to cut) → 切れば (kireba)
Group 2 (ru-verbs / vowel-stem verbs): Simply drop る and add れば.
- Example: 食べる (taberu, to eat) → 食べれば (tabereba)
- Example: 見る (miru, to see) → 見れば (mireba)
- Example: 寝る (neru, to sleep) → 寝れば (nereba)
- Example: 降りる (oriru, to get off) → 降りれば (orireba)
Irregular verbs: These need to be memorized.
- する (suru, to do) → すれば (sureba)
- くる (kuru, to come) → くれば (kureba)
Adjectives:
い-adjectives: Drop い and add ければ.
- Example: 高い (takai, expensive) → 高ければ (takakereba)
- Example: 暑い (atsui, hot) → 暑ければ (atsukereba)
- Example: 寒い (samui, cold) → 寒ければ (samukereba)
- Example: 楽しい (tanoshii, fun) → 楽しければ (tanoshikereba)
な-adjectives/nouns: Add なら(ば). While "なら" alone is more common, you can technically use "ならば" which provides a slightly more formal feel. For simplicity and common usage, we'll focus on using "なら" with nouns and na-adjectives in this section since the conditional nuance is the same as section 2.
- Example: 静か (shizuka, quiet) → 静かなら (shizuka nara)
- Example: 学生 (gakusei, student) → 学生なら (gakusei nara)
Example Table: ば Conditionals
| Japanese | Romaji | English Translation | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 雨が降れば、行きません。 | Ame ga fureba, ikimasen. | If it rains, I won't go. | A general condition. Raining is a reason for not going. |
| 早く寝れば、元気になります。 | Hayaku nereba, genki ni narimasu. | If I sleep early, I will feel better. | Expressing a habitual cause and effect. |
| ボタンを押せば、電気がつきます。 | Botan o oseba, denki ga tsukimasu. | If you press the button, the light will turn on. | Describing a mechanism. |
| 安ければ、買います。 | Yasukereba, kaimasu. | If it's cheap, I will buy it. | Expressing a condition for a purchase. |
| 春になれば、桜が咲きます。 | Haru ni nareba, sakura ga sakimasu. | If it becomes spring, the cherry blossoms will bloom. | Expressing a natural phenomenon. |
| 道が混んでいれば、タクシーで行きます。 | Michi ga konde ireba, takushii de ikimasu. | If the road is crowded, I will go by taxi. | An alternative action based on a likely circumstance. |
| 薬を飲めば、良くなります。 | Kusuri o nomeba, yoku narimasu. | If you take medicine, you'll get better. | General advice/expectation. |
| 時間があれば、映画を見に行きます。 | Jikan ga areba, eiga o mi ni ikimasu. | If I have time, I will go to see a movie. | Expressing a desire contingent on available time. |
| 学生なら、学割が使えます。 | Gakusei nara, gakugari ga tsukaemasu. | If you're a student, you can use the student discount. | A benefit available based on status. |
| 静かなら、勉強しやすいです。 | Shizuka nara, benkyou shiyasui desu. | If it's quiet, it's easy to study. | Expressing a condition that makes something else easier. |
2. なら (nara) Conditionals: Responding to Information and Making Suggestions
The なら conditional is used when:
- Responding to something someone has said or asked.
- Offering a suggestion or advice based on new information.
- Clarifying a situation based on what you've just heard.
- Confirming/asserting a topic or action based on an assumption.
Think of it as "If that's the case..." or "If you mean...". It's often used to provide a relevant response or suggest an appropriate course of action.
How to Form:
Attach なら to the plain form (dictionary form for verbs, plain form for adjectives, and nouns as is) of verbs, adjectives, or nouns. Note: past tense of verbs and adjectives can also be used to convey specific nuance.
- Verb (plain form) + なら
- い-adjective + なら
- な-adjective + なら
- Noun + なら
Example Table: なら Conditionals
| Japanese | Romaji | English Translation | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 日本に行くなら、お土産を買ってきてね。 | Nihon ni iku nara, omiyage o katte kite ne. | If you're going to Japan, please buy me a souvenir. | Responding to the news that someone is going to Japan with a request. |
| 暇なら、手伝ってください。 | Hima nara, tetsudatte kudasai. | If you are free, please help me. | Requesting help based on the condition of the other person's free time. |
| 明日雨なら、ピクニックは中止です。 | Ashita ame nara, pikunikku wa chuushi desu. | If it rains tomorrow, the picnic will be cancelled. | A decision made based on a potential future event. |
| これが高いなら、あれを買います。 | Kore ga takai nara, are o kaimasu. | If this is expensive, I'll buy that one. | Making a decision based on the price of something. |
| もう食べたなら、片付けましょう。 | Mou tabeta nara, katazukemashou. | If you've already eaten, let's clean up. | Suggesting an action based on the completion of another. |
| A: 明日テストがあるんです。 B: テストがあるなら、今日は早く寝たほうがいいよ。 |
A: Ashita tesuto ga arun desu. B: Tesuto ga aru nara, kyou wa hayaku neta hou ga ii yo. |
A: I have a test tomorrow. B: If you have a test tomorrow, you should go to bed early tonight. |
Responding to a statement with relevant advice. |
| 学生なら、この割引が使えます。 | Gakusei nara, kono waribiki ga tsukaemasu. | If you're a student, you can use this discount. | Clarifying the conditions for using a discount. |
| おいしいケーキ屋さんを知ってる？ 知ってるなら、教えて！ |
Oishii keeki ya san o shitteru? Shitteru nara, oshiete! |
Do you know a good cake shop? If you do, tell me! |
A request that hinges on if the person knows something. |
| A: 田中さんは？ B: 田中さんなら、もう帰りましたよ。 |
A: Tanaka san wa? B: Tanaka san nara, mou kaerimashita yo. |
A: Where's Tanaka-san? B: If you're talking about Tanaka-san, he already went home. |
Confirming the subject and providing information. |
3. ば vs. なら: Key Differences and Nuances
While both ば and なら translate to "if," their usage differs significantly based on context and nuance.
- ば: Focuses on general conditions, habitual actions, or logical consequences. Think of it as a cause-and-effect relationship that generally holds true.
- なら: Focuses on responding to a specific situation, providing relevant advice, or clarifying a topic based on information you've just received. It's more reactive and context-dependent.
Let's look at some examples to highlight the differences:
Example 1: Rain
- 雨が降れば、家にいます。(Ame ga fureba, ie ni imasu.) - If it rains, I will stay home. (General condition: Whenever it rains, I tend to stay home.)
- 雨なら、家にいます。(Ame nara, ie ni imasu.) - If it's raining (as for rain), I'll stay home. (Responding to the specific situation of rain right now or predicted for the near future. Perhaps someone asked where you'd be if it rains.)
Example 2: Time
- 時間があれば、映画を見に行きます。(Jikan ga areba, eiga o mi ni ikimasu.) - If I have time, I will go to see a movie. (General possibility: If I ever have time, that's what I'll do.)
- 時間があるなら、映画を見に行きませんか。(Jikan ga aru nara, eiga o mi ni ikimasen ka?) - If you have time, why don't we go see a movie? (Reacting to the information that someone currently has time and suggesting an activity.)
Example 3: Price
- 安ければ、買います。(Yasukereba, kaimasu.) - If it's cheap, I'll buy it. (General condition: My buying is contingent on the general concept of cheapness.)
- 安いなら、買います。(Yasui nara, kaimasu.) - If it's cheap right now (based on the price I just saw/heard), I'll buy it. (Reacting to the specific current price.)
In short: ば indicates a relationship that always exists. Nara is a reaction or a condition that just arose.
4. Beyond the Basics: ならば (naraba) and Other Considerations
While なら is generally used with nouns and na-adjectives, you might encounter ならば (naraba), which is a slightly more formal version. The meaning is essentially the same, but ならば is often used in more formal speech or writing.
Furthermore, be aware of the politeness levels. In polite speech, you'll often use ～ます/です forms after the conditional clause. For example:
- 時間があれば、映画を見に行きます。 (Jikan ga areba, eiga o mi ni ikimasu.) - Polite
- 時間があれば、映画を見に行く。 (Jikan ga areba, eiga o mi ni iku.) - Plain
Practice Time!
Let's test your understanding with some practice exercises. Remember to consider the context and nuance when choosing between ば and なら.
Exercise 1: Fill in the blanks with the correct conditional (ば or なら).
- 安(やす)い (___)、買(か)います。 (Yasui (___), kaimasu.) - If it's cheap, I will buy it.
- 時間(じかん)がある (___)、何(なに)をしたいですか。 (Jikan ga aru (___), nani o shitai desu ka?) - If you have time, what do you want to do? (Responding to the fact they have time)
- 明日(あした)晴(は)れ (___)、ピクニックに行(い)きましょう。(Ashita hare (___), pikunikku ni ikimashou.) - If it's sunny tomorrow, let's go on a picnic.
- 勉強(べんきょう)すれ (___)、合格(ごうかく)します。(Benkyou sure (___), goukaku shimasu.) - If you study, you will pass.
- 美味(おい)しいラーメン屋(や)さんを知(し)っている (___)、教(おし)えてください。(Oishii raamenya-san o shitteiru (___), oshiete kudasai.) - If you know a delicious ramen shop, please tell me.
Answer Key for Exercise 1
1. 安ければ (yasukereba) 2. 時間があるなら (jikan ga aru nara) 3. 明日晴れなら (ashita hare nara) 4. 勉強すれば (benkyou sureba) 5. 知っているなら (shitteiru nara)Exercise 2: Translate the following sentences into Japanese using either ば or なら.
- If you go to the library, please borrow this book.
- If I had money, I would travel around the world.
- If you're not going, I won't go either.
- If it is hot, let's eat ice cream!
- If that's your decision, I will support you.
Answer Key for Exercise 2
1. 図書館に行くなら、この本を借りてください。(Toshokan ni iku nara, kono hon o karite kudasai.) 2. お金があれば、世界旅行をします。(Okane ga areba, sekai ryokou o shimasu.) 3. 行かないなら、私も行きません。(Ikanai nara, watashi mo ikimasen.) 4. 暑いなら、アイスクリームを食べましょう。(Atsui nara, aisukuriimu o tabemashou.) OR 暑ければ、アイスクリームを食べましょう。(Atsukereba, aisukuriimu o tabemashou.) (the first one implies you just found out it's hot) 5. それがあなたの決断なら、私はあなたを応援します。(Sore ga anata no ketsudan nara, watashi wa anata o ouen shimasu.)Exercise 3: Choose the most natural-sounding sentence in each pair and explain why.
Pair 1:
A. 暇なら、ゲームをしましょう。(Hima nara, geemu o shimashou.) B. 暇であれば、ゲームをしましょう。(Hima de areba, geemu o shimashou.)
Pair 2:
A. 食べれば、美味しかった。(Tabereba, oishikatta.) B. 食べるなら、美味しかった。(Taberu nara, oishikatta.)
Answer Key for Exercise 3 and Explanation
Pair 1: A is more natural. While B isn't technically incorrect, it sounds overly formal and unnatural for a casual suggestion. なら is much more common when responding to someone's free time.Pair 2: B is generally more natural. A is grammatically strange - it implies "if you eat it then generally speaking it was delicious". B suggests "Since you were eating it, it was delicious"