If and when

Conjugations, Stage 1chunk 7 of 15Verb forms

The four conditionals; -tara covers most needs and the others add shades.

-taraIf..., or when (once)..., then something happens.
-baIf... (a general condition).
-u toWhenever or if X happens, Y follows naturally.
naraIf that's the case; if you're going to...

Mix-ups All four translate as 'if': -to can't be followed by a request, nara looks ahead, -tara means once it's happened.

-tara

if / when〜たら

If..., or when (once)..., then something happens.

The everyday 'if' and 'when (once)': the conditional to reach for first.

Make it Make the -ta form and add ra: tabetara, kattara, nondara, ittara. suru → shitara, kuru → kitara.

On its own with a rising tone it's advice: yasundara? = why don't you take a break?

taberu	tabetara	食べたら
miru	mitara	見たら
kau	kattara	買ったら
matsu	mattara	待ったら
kaeru	kaettara	帰ったら
nomu	nondara	飲んだら
asobu	asondara	遊んだら
kaku	kaitara	書いたら
oyogu	oyoidara	泳いだら
hanasu	hanashitara	話したら
iku	ittara	行ったら
suru	shitara	したら
kuru	kitara	来たら

casual

eki ni tsuitara, renraku shite

Let me know when you get to the station.

駅に着いたら、連絡して。

polite

eki ni tsuitara, renraku shite kudasai

Please let me know when you get to the station.

駅に着いたら、連絡してください。

Heard 21,822× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitles (0.96% of verbs)Main list -tara (Stage 2)

-ba

if (condition)〜ば

If... (a general condition).

Conditions and advice; -ba ii means 'you just have to' or 'you should'.

Make it Ichidan: drop ru, add reba (tabereba, mireba). Godan: change the last u to e, add ba (kaeba, nomeba, ikeba). suru → sureba, kuru → kureba.

For a one-off 'when / after', -tara is more natural; keep -ba for conditions and -ba ii advice.

taberu	tabereba	食べれば
miru	mireba	見れば
kau	kaeba	買えば
matsu	mateba	待てば
kaeru	kaereba	帰れば
nomu	nomeba	飲めば
asobu	asobeba	遊べば
kaku	kakeba	書けば
oyogu	oyogeba	泳げば
hanasu	hanaseba	話せば
iku	ikeba	行けば
suru	sureba	すれば
kuru	kureba	来れば

casual

sensei ni kikeba ii yo

You should just ask the teacher.

先生に聞けばいいよ。

polite

sensei ni kikeba ii desu yo

You can just ask the teacher.

先生に聞けばいいですよ。

Heard 23,023× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitles (1.0% of verbs)Main list -ba (Stage 2)

-u to

whenever / if (automatic)〜と

Whenever or if X happens, Y follows naturally.

Directions, how things work, and habits: migi ni magaru to... (turn right and...).

Make it Dictionary form plus to: taberu to, kau to, iku to. suru → suru to, kuru → kuru to. For the negative, -nai to.

No requests or plans after it: say tsuitara renraku shite, not tsuku to renraku shite.

taberu	taberu to	食べると
miru	miru to	見ると
kau	kau to	買うと
matsu	matsu to	待つと
kaeru	kaeru to	帰ると
nomu	nomu to	飲むと
asobu	asobu to	遊ぶと
kaku	kaku to	書くと
oyogu	oyogu to	泳ぐと
hanasu	hanasu to	話すと
iku	iku to	行くと
suru	suru to	すると
kuru	kuru to	来ると

casual

kono botan osu to, denki tsuku yo

Press this button and the light comes on.

このボタン押すと、電気つくよ。

polite

kono botan o osu to, denki ga tsukimasu

If you press this button, the light comes on.

このボタンを押すと、電気がつきます。

Heard not counted: the tokenizer can’t pick this form out

nara

if that's the case〜なら

If that's the case; if you're going to...

Reacting to what someone just said, often with advice.

Make it Dictionary form plus nara: taberu nara, kau nara, iku nara. suru → suru nara, kuru → kuru nara. It also follows nouns and the -nai form.

nara looks ahead: iku nara = if you're going (advice before you go); ittara = once you've gone.

taberu	taberu nara	食べるなら
miru	miru nara	見るなら
kau	kau nara	買うなら
matsu	matsu nara	待つなら
kaeru	kaeru nara	帰るなら
nomu	nomu nara	飲むなら
asobu	asobu nara	遊ぶなら
kaku	kaku nara	書くなら
oyogu	oyogu nara	泳ぐなら
hanasu	hanasu nara	話すなら
iku	iku nara	行くなら
suru	suru nara	するなら
kuru	kuru nara	来るなら

casual

kyouto iku nara, kasa motte itte

If you're going to Kyoto, take an umbrella.

京都行くなら、傘持っていって。

polite

kyouto ni iku nara, kasa o motte itte kudasai

If you're going to Kyoto, please take an umbrella.

京都に行くなら、傘を持っていってください。

Heard not counted: the tokenizer can’t pick this form out