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〜ばそれまでだ・〜たらそれまでだ

if …, that's the end of it

Verb ば / たら + それまでだ

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ばそれまでだ means that if a certain thing happens, everything else becomes pointless: いくら練習しても、本番で失敗すればそれまでだ, "however much you practise, if you fail on the day, that's the end of it".

The first half is often a single decisive event: a failure, an accident, spending the money, losing your life. The sentence stresses how fragile all the effort or value was. The first part often has いくら〜ても or どんなに.

The fixed phrase 言ってしまえばそれまでだが means "that's all there is to it, but…", used when a simple explanation doesn't feel satisfying: 運が悪かったと言ってしまえばそれまでだが.

それまで means "up to that point", so it's literally "it only goes up to there".

Examples

  • いくら練習れんしゅうしても、本番ほんばんで失敗しっぱいすればそれまでだ。

    However much you practise, if you fail on the day, that's the end of it.

  • どんなに高たかい車くるまも、事故じこを起おこせばそれまでだ。

    However expensive a car is, one accident and it's all over.

  • いくら貯金ちょきんしても、使つかってしまえばそれまでだ。

    However much you save, once you spend it, it's gone.

  • どんなに成功せいこうしても、命いのちをなくしたらそれまでだ。

    However successful you are, if you lose your life, that's the end.

  • 運うんが悪わるかったと言いってしまえばそれまでだが、準備じゅんびも足たりなかった。

    You could just say it was bad luck, but we didn't prepare enough either.

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