Hi... I'm studying Japanese and I have my final test in a few weeks. I just can't for the life of me understand when to use which kind of conditional (I've learnt all four kinds). When do I use と、ば、なら and たら? I heard a classmate saying that たら is used in all contexts whereas と can only be used in very particular cases. Is it true that I can just use たら for any time that I'm trying to say 'if'? Can you please explain when to use which kind? Thank you so much if you answer!!
Heya! I apologize for taking so long to answer this; I wanted to make sure I got you the correct information and could explain it as simply as possible. I’m not an expert on these conditionals, but I hope the information will be useful to you. ^^
たら is pretty much a basic conditional that’s used for all kinds of situations, and it tends to be pretty flexible. It has the simple mean of “If X happens, then Y.”
You can use たら for hypothetical situations–situations beyond your control or impossible situations that are hard to imagine like striking it rich, being someone you’re not, etc. In this case, たら has an “if” meaning.
明日、雨が降ったら、私達は山に登れない。If it rains tomorrow, we won’t be able to climb the mountain.
成績が良かったら、両親が車を買ってくれるかも。If I get good grades, my parents may buy me a car.
*もし私が彼女だったら、そんなことはできない。If I were her, I wouldn’t be able to do something like that.
お金があったら、ホテルを買います。If I had the money, I’d buy a hotel.
**もし means “if.” It is used in statements when you are not sure if something will happen; it basically adds uncertainty to the statement.
Then you have the probable situations, which are situations that you know for a fact are going to take place after the condition is met. たら has a “when” meaning.
帰ったら、電話します。I’ll call when you get home.
ケンさんは、卒業したら、イギリスに引っ越すつもりだ。When Ken graduates, he will move to England.
For these above sentences, it’s not a matter of if a person gets home or if Ken graduates. It’s when.
たら is also used in advice such as in ～たらどうですか and suggestions.
分からなかったら、先生に聞いたらどうですか。If you don’t understand, why don’t you ask the teacher?
参考したらいい。(casual)You should participate.
Also invitations and requests.
良かったらどうぞ。Please take this (if it’s okay).
雨が降らなかったら、ピクニックに行きませんか 。If it doesn’t rain, would you like to go on a picnic?
トムさんに会ったら、この本をあげてくれる。If you see Tom, give this book to him (for me).
There are other ways to use たら, but I don’t want to make this even more confusing by adding those in there, and I doubt it would be on your exam because I just learned it not too long ago. Here are some more examples on たら sentences from Maggie Sensei.
と basically means “whenever.” It expresses a natural consequence of a condition. It differs from たら in the sense that たら highlights more of a one time, specified event. と, however, can be a habitual, recurring event, meaning “every time/whenever X happens, Y happens as a result.”
春になると、桜が咲く。When it’s spring, flowers bloom.
ボタンを押すと、電気が点く。When you press the button, the light turns on.
ここを右に曲がると、図書館があります。If you turn right here, there’s a library.
It doesn’t have to be strictly a natural consequence either, but rather, it could be an expected consequence–that is something you know will happen or is supposed to happen as in a cause and effect relationship.
アナさんは、その映画を見ると、泣きます。Anna cries whenever she watches that movie.
寒くなると、私は風邪を引きます。Whenever it gets cold, I get sick.
私は一所懸命勉強しないと、上手にならない。If I don’t study hard, I won’t improve.
You can find some more awesome examples here from Maggie Sensei! :D
と, however, does have restrictions. There are certain situations where you cannot use と, and in such cases you would be better off using たら。In situations that express desire, a request, a command, or an intention, you should not use と for.
雨が降らないと、ピクニックに行きませんか。XIf it doesn’t rain, would you like to go on a picnic?
トムさんに会うと、この本をあげてくれる。 XWhen you see Tom, give him this book for me. (Just keep giving it to him every time you see him).
日本に行くと、京都に行きたいです。XWhen I go to Japan, I want to go to Kyoto.
ケンさんは卒業すると、イギリスに引っ越すつもりだ。XWhen Ken graduates, he will move to England.
ば is also pretty general as well. It’s just a basic hypothetical conditional. It’s more flexible than と but still has some restrictions.
よく運動すれば、元気になります。If you exercise often, you’ll be healthy.
駅の近くに住めば、いい。It’ll be good if you live close to the station.
When the second sentence is in the past tense, it becomes a counterfactual statement, such as “I should’ve done something.”
昨夜ピザを食べなければ、よかった。I shouldn’t have eaten that pizza last night.
私は勉強すれば、合格しました。I would’ve passed if I had studied.
Even though ば is a general conditional, you don’t want to have a negative result. These sentences may happen, but they sound unnatural and odd.
私はバスで乗れば、遅れます。XIf I take the bus, I’ll be late.
パーティーに行けなければ、友達がいない。XIf you don’t go to the party, you won’t have friends.
Unlike と conditional、the ば conditional can express situations of desire, intention, command, or requests; however, it is only certain instances. In order to use ば in this case, the verb in the first sentence must not be an action (to go, to do, to swim, to eat, etc.). It has to be a stative sentence (nouns, adjectives, is, are, to exist, etc.).
お金があれば、ホテルを買いたいです。If I had money, I’d want to buy a hotel.
彼女は先生ならば、答を知っています。If she’s a teacher, she’ll know the answer.
暇ならば、カフェに行きませんか。If you’re free, would you like to go to a cafe?
高ければ、買わないでください。Please don’t buy it if it’s expensive.
However, you can’t use the ば conditional in these ways if the verb in the first sentence is an action verb. These are taken from the と examples, and these would all be wrong if used in this fashion.
ケンさんは卒業すれば、イギリスに引っ越すつもりだ。X
More awesome examples on the ば conditional.
なら conditional I’d like to think of as the “exclusive conditional.” なら can often be used with ば as you can see in some of the ば examples, and it’s sometimes interchangeable with ば. なら singles out, reiterates, contrasts, or summarizes a point. It’s kind of like saying “If X is the case or If what you said is true, then Y.”
A: 海外に行ったことがありますか？Have you ever been abroad?
B: モナコなら行ったことがあります。If it’s Monaco, then yes.
A: 日本語を読めますか。Can you read Japanese?
B: ひらがななら読めます。If it’s in hiragana, I can read it.
A: このブラウスは高すぎるね。This blouse is too expensive!
B: 高いなら、買わないで。If it’s expensive (like you say it is), don’t buy it.
その店なら、おいしい寿司を食べられます。If it’s that restaurant, you can eat delicious sushi.
ケンさんなら、できるよ。If it’s Ken, he can do it.
Below, is some more awesome information on conditionals.
Conditional Statements Part 1: たらConditional Statements Part 2: と
I do hope this helps you out. Thank you for your question. If anyone sees anything that is wrong in here, please let me know. ^^
