Appendix F — Conditional Forms Quick Reference

Japanese has four primary conditional constructions: と, ば, たら, and なら. Each encodes a different relationship between condition and result. This appendix provides formation rules, constraints, and contrastive examples to help identify which conditional is being used and why.

Formation Summary

と conditional

ば conditional

たら conditional

なら conditional

Note: なら can also follow the past tense (行ったなら), but the non-past form is more common.

Core Meaning of Each Conditional

と — Natural/Automatic Consequence

Core idea: Whenever A happens, B naturally follows. No personal will or intention in the result.

• Describes laws of nature, habitual results, automatic consequences, and sequential events
• The main clause cannot contain requests, commands, invitations, volitional expressions, or permission
• Often translates as "whenever" or "when" rather than "if"

ば — Hypothetical Sufficient Condition

Core idea: If condition A is met, then result B follows. Focuses on A as the key/sufficient condition.

• Emphasizes the condition itself: "if only A, then B"
• Often used for general/hypothetical situations
• The main clause can be a natural result or a judgment, but requests and commands are restricted (except with ければ for adjectives and なければ for negative conditions)
• Frequently appears in proverbs and general truths

たら — Completed Condition (Most Versatile)

Core idea: After/when/if A is completed, then B. The condition is viewed as a completed event.

• The most flexible conditional, usable in almost any context
• Works with requests, commands, invitations, and volitional expressions
• Can express both hypothetical conditions and temporal sequences ("when A happened, B")
• Commonly used in everyday conversation
• Default choice when unsure which conditional to use

なら — Contextual Condition (Responding to Premises)

Core idea: If what you say/assume is true (A), then I say B. Reacting to information.

• Responds to something the listener has just said or implied
• The main clause can describe an action that precedes the condition chronologically
• Often used for giving advice or making recommendations based on someone's stated plans
• Has a "topicalizing" nuance: "as for the topic of A, ..."

Constraints at a Glance

Contrastive Examples

Situation 1: Giving directions

Note: と is most natural for giving directions as an automatic sequence. なら shifts the focus: "if going to the station is your plan, then..."

Situation 2: Weather

Situation 3: Making requests

Situation 4: Hypothetical/contrary to fact

Situation 5: Advice based on stated plans

Note: なら responds to the listener's stated intention. たら talks about what to do after arrival.

Situation 6: Discovery upon completion

Note: Both たら and と can describe past one-time discoveries. と here is used in narrative storytelling. ば and なら cannot describe past one-time events this way.

Quick Decision Guide

Use this flowchart when encountering or choosing a conditional:

1. Is the result a natural/automatic consequence with no personal will?

• Yes → と is likely (春になると桜が咲く)
• Also works for habitual sequences

2. Is the speaker responding to something the listener just said or implied?

• Yes → なら is likely (行くなら、気をつけて)
• Especially if the advice/result could logically precede the condition

3. Does the result contain a request, command, suggestion, or volitional expression?

• Yes → たら is the safest choice (着いたら、電話して)
• なら also works if responding to a stated premise
• と is impossible here; ば is restricted

4. Is this a hypothetical "if only" situation emphasizing the condition?

• Yes → ば is likely (安ければ買う)
• Also common in proverbs and general wisdom

5. Unsure?

• Use たら — it is the most versatile and rarely wrong in conversation

Common Patterns and Set Expressions

ば〜ほど Construction

The ば conditional combines with ほど to create "the more X, the more Y":

Formation: ば-form + dictionary form + ほど

Summary Table