Four ways to say 'if', each with its own flavour: と for natural results, たら for 'once that's happened', ば for general conditions, なら for 'in that case'. A map of when to use which.
About 6 minutes to read
Japanese has four common conditionals. They overlap, which is why they confuse learners, but each has a core feeling. Learn that feeling and you'll pick correctly most of the time.
と: if that happens, this always follows
Plain form + と describes a result that follows automatically: natural laws, habits, directions, discoveries.
春springになるとwhen it becomes花flowersが咲くbloom
When spring comes, flowers bloom.
このボタンを押すpressとifドアdoorが開くopens
If you press this button, the door opens.
右rightに曲がるturnとif駅stationがある
If you turn right, there's the station.
Because it's automatic, the second half can't be a request, an order or a wish: 押すと開けてください is wrong.
It's also used for sudden discoveries, with a past ending:
ドアdoorを開けるopenとwhen猫catがいたwas there
When I opened the door, there was a cat.
たら: once it has happened
Past plain form + ら is the most flexible. It means "if" or "when ... has happened". The result can be anything: a request, a wish, a fact.
雨rainが降ったfellらif行かないwon't go
If it rains, I won't go.
駅stationに着いたarrivedらwhen電話callしてdoください
Please call me when you get to the station.
宝くじlotteryに当たったwonらif家houseを買うbuy
If I win the lottery, I'll buy a house.
Think of たら as "once X has happened". That's why the past form is used: you are picturing X as completed. It's the safest all-round conditional for a beginner.
ば: general condition
ば-form (change the final u-sound to the e-row + ば; ru-verbs drop る and add れば) states a condition for a result. The result is often a good thing, advice, or a general rule.
Type
ば-form
食べる
食べれば
書く
書けば
飲む
飲めば
する
すれば
来る
来れば
い-adj 高い
高ければ
ない
なければ
薬medicineを飲めdrinkばif治るget well
If you take the medicine, you'll get better.
安けれcheapばif買うbuy
If it's cheap, I'll buy it.
もっと勉強すれstudyばifよかったwas good
I should have studied more. (If I'd studied, it would have been good.)
The last example is a very common idiom: 〜ばよかった means "I should have".
なら: if (as you say), in that case
Plain form + なら picks up something the listener (or situation) has just mentioned, and responds: "if that's so..."
If you're going to study Japanese, this book is good.
なら accepts the other person's statement as given and offers advice or a conclusion based on it. It's not about what will happen, but about "in that case".
Quick guide
Best for
Not for
と
natural results, directions, "when I did X I found Y"
requests, orders, wishes
たら
almost anything; "once X has happened"
ば
general rules, advice, "if only"
なら
"in that case", responding to what was said
If in doubt, たら.
Even if: ても
To say "even if", attach も to the て-form: て-form + も.
雨rainが降ってfallもeven if行くgo
I'll go even if it rains.
高くexpensiveてもeven if買うbuy
I'll buy it even if it's expensive.
何whatを言ってsayもeven if無駄uselessだ
Whatever you say, it's useless.
Question words plus ても give "no matter": いくら高くても (no matter how expensive), 誰が来ても (no matter who comes).
Longer sentences
Combine conditions with their results, and notice which conditional the writer chose.
もしif明日tomorrow雨がrain降ったらif it falls試合はmatch中止になるがwill be cancelled but曇りぐらいならif it's only cloudyやるwill doはずだshouldと(quote)先生がteacher言っていたwas saying
The teacher said that if it rains tomorrow the match will be cancelled, but if it's merely cloudy they'll probably go ahead.
窓をwindow開けるとwhen I open海がsea見えるcan be seen部屋がroomあればif there isいいのにI wishと(quote)思ってthinking探したがlooked, butどこもeverywhere高すぎてtoo expensive諦めたgave up
I was thinking it would be nice to have a room where I could see the sea when I opened the window, and looked, but everywhere was too expensive, so I gave up.
Conditions inside conditions
もしif来月までにby next month資金がfunds集まればif gathered計画はplan予定どおりas scheduled進められるがcan go ahead, but集まらなかったらif they aren't gathered来年にnext year延期せざるを得ないhave no choice but to postpone
とはいえthat said、今のところso far順調なのでgoing smoothly, soよほどのことがない限りunless something major happens問題ないだろうthere'll probably be no problem
If the funds are gathered by next month, the plan can go ahead as scheduled; if they aren't, we'll have no choice but to postpone until next year.
That said, things are going smoothly so far, so unless something major happens there should be no problem.
Key points
と: automatic results. たら: once it has happened (most flexible).
ば: general conditions, advice, 〜ばよかった. なら: "in that case".
ても: "even if / no matter".
When unsure, use たら.
Drill these patterns
Short example sentences for the points in this lesson: