条件を使い分けるChoosing Conditionals
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Form the four conditional patterns と, ば, たら, and なら accurately.
- Distinguish the core communicative use of each conditional: automatic or habitual result (と), general or evaluative condition (ば), sequential or discovery-based condition (たら), and topic-based or advice-oriented condition (なら).
- Use もし to signal a hypothetical condition clearly, and use 場合 to describe a formal or procedural case.
- Recognize counterfactual meaning in たら and ば sentences describing situations that did not happen.
- Give instructions, advice, warnings, and preferences using the conditional form best suited to the situation.
- Read and listen to short texts containing instructions, warnings, and procedures, identifying which conditional is used and why.
- Write and narrate a short account of advice or a warning using at least two different conditional forms appropriately.
Communication Scenario
Emma is preparing for a weekend hiking trip with friends from her discussion group, and she is also helping a new volunteer at the community center understand the office procedures. Before the hike, one friend explains what always happens if the weather turns bad, another gives advice about what to do if Emma gets tired, and a third describes what she would have done differently if she had known about a shortcut earlier. At the community center, Emma explains to the new volunteer what to do in case a visitor arrives without an appointment, and what to do if the printer stops working. This chapter's Practical Performance Task asks you to give advice, a warning, and a procedure for handling a specific case, choosing the conditional form that fits each situation.
- The speaker or writer selects と, ば, たら, or なら based on whether the sentence describes an automatic result, a general condition, a sequential discovery, or a topic-based recommendation.
- The speaker or writer uses もし to flag a hypothetical situation and 場合 to describe a formal or procedural case.
- The speaker or writer recognizes and can produce a simple counterfactual sentence describing something that did not happen.
Core Vocabulary
This chapter's vocabulary supports instructions, advice, plans, warnings, procedures, preferences, and hypothetical situations. All items below are productive for this chapter and recycle in Chapter 10.
| Function | Japanese | Reading | English meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Condition / case | 条件 | じょうけん | condition |
| Condition / case | 場合 | ばあい | case; situation (in which...) |
| Hypothesis | 仮定 | かてい | hypothesis; assumption |
| Hypothesis | 可能性 | かのうせい | possibility |
| Warning | 警告 | けいこく | warning |
| Warning | 注意 | ちゅうい | caution; attention |
| Selection / preference | 選択 | せんたく | choice; selection |
| Selection / preference | 好み | このみ | preference; taste |
| Procedure | 手順 | てじゅん | procedure; steps |
| Procedure | 故障 | こしょう | breakdown; malfunction |
These items combine naturally with this chapter's conditional patterns, especially 場合 and 可能性, which frequently appear in と-, ば-, and なら-conditioned sentences about procedures and possibilities.
れんしゅう — Practice: Choose four words from the table and write one plain-style sentence with each, describing a warning, a procedure, or a preference.
Script and Kanji Focus
This chapter introduces kanji for condition, hypothesis, warning, case, possibility, and selection, consistent with the Kanji Recognition and Kanji Production Matrices for this volume. Furigana is provided for these new kanji on first appearance in this chapter and reduced in later readings once the chapter has established them; furigana remains available for names and any unscheduled readings.
The component 可, introduced in Chapter 8's 許可 and 可能, appears again here in 可能性 (possibility). Recognizing 可 as a recurring signal of permission or possibility continues to help you predict meaning, but as before, the reading and precise nuance of each compound must still be checked individually rather than assumed from the component alone.
In this chapter's readings, only names, unfamiliar loanwords, and this chapter's new kanji on first appearance receive furigana.
れんしゅう — Practice: Write the readings for 条件, 場合, 仮定, 可能性, 警告, and 選択. Then write one sentence using 場合 to describe a procedural case, such as what to do if a machine breaks or a visitor arrives unannounced.
Pronunciation Focus
The ば and たら conditional endings are short but consequential: mispronouncing the vowel length or mora count can shift a conditional form into a different word entirely. Careful attention to each mora keeps these endings distinct and intelligible.
- 行けば (いけば): two distinct morae in the ending; do not lengthen the final え-row vowel.
- 行ったら (いったら): the small っ before た must be held for its own timing unit, distinguishing 行ったら from 行たら, which is not a valid form.
- 故障したら: practice the sequence した + ら slowly, keeping both morae of した distinct before adding ら.
Practice reading the Model Dialogue aloud, paying particular attention to keeping the small っ and each conditional ending clearly timed, even at a natural conversational pace.
Grammar and Sentence Patterns: Choosing Conditionals
This chapter contrasts と, ば, たら, and なら, and adds もし and 場合 as tools for signaling hypothetical or procedural conditions. All four conditional forms can sometimes be translated with English "if," but they are not interchangeable in Japanese; each carries its own typical range of use, and choosing among them is itself a communicative skill.
と — automatic and habitual result
Purpose: to describe a result that follows automatically or habitually whenever the condition is met, without expressing the speaker's will, invitation, or advice in the result clause.
- 春になると、桜が咲きます。When spring comes, the cherry blossoms bloom.natural, repeatable result; と links a general condition to a predictable outcome
- このボタンを押すと、電気が消えます。If you press this button, the light turns off.mechanical, automatic result; typical of instructions and procedures
と is not typically used when the result clause contains a request, invitation, suggestion, or command directed at the listener; ば, たら, or なら are usually chosen instead for those functions.
ば — general or evaluative condition
Purpose: to describe a general condition, especially one used for evaluation, advice, or a logical relationship between condition and result.
- 時間があれば、手伝います。If I have time, I'll help.general condition affecting the speaker's future action
- 早く出発すれば、道が込む前に着けます。If we leave early, we can arrive before the roads get crowded.evaluative condition supporting advice or planning
ば often appears in advice and evaluative statements, but a request or command in the result clause is more limited than with たら or なら; check the surrounding context and, where possible, favor たら or なら when the result is a direct instruction to the listener.
たら — sequential condition and discovery
Purpose: to describe a condition or event that comes first, followed by a result, often used for sequential actions, discoveries, requests, and counterfactuals.
- 駅に着いたら、電話してください。When you arrive at the station, please call me.sequential condition + request, very natural with たら
- 箱を開けたら、手紙が入っていました。When I opened the box, there was a letter inside.discovery use: the result was found out after the first action
- もっと早く出発していたら、道が込む前に着けたでしょう。If we had left earlier, we probably would have arrived before the roads got crowded.counterfactual: describes a past situation that did not happen
たら is the most flexible of the four conditionals and is often the safest default for requests, sequential events, discoveries, and counterfactual situations describing something that did not actually happen.
なら — topic-based condition and advice
Purpose: to respond to a situation already mentioned or assumed, often to give advice, a recommendation, or a comment about that specific topic.
- 疲れているなら、休んだほうがいいですよ。If you're tired, you should rest.responds to an already-mentioned or observed situation with advice
- 山に登るなら、水をたくさん持っていってください。If you're going to climb the mountain, please bring plenty of water.advice tied to a stated plan, not a hypothetical general condition
なら typically follows something already said, known, or assumed by the listener, rather than introducing a brand-new hypothetical condition; this is the key difference between なら and もし + たら/ば, which more often introduce a new hypothesis.
もし and 場合 — flagging hypotheses and formal cases
Purpose: to mark a condition clearly as hypothetical (もし) or to describe a formal, procedural, or institutional case (場合), often independent of which conditional ending is used.
- もし故障したら、担当者に連絡してください。If it breaks down, please contact the person in charge.もし signals the hypothetical nature of the condition before たら appears
- 予約がない場合は、少々お待ちください。In the case that you don't have a reservation, please wait a moment.場合 frames the condition as a formal, procedural case rather than a personal hypothesis
もし and 場合 can combine with と, ば, たら, or なら; they add clarity and formality rather than replacing the conditional ending itself.
Recognizing counterfactuals
Purpose: to recognize and produce simple sentences describing a past situation that did not actually happen, most often built with たら or ば plus a past-tense-based result.
- もっと練習していれば、うまく話せたと思います。If I had practiced more, I think I could have spoken well.counterfactual with ば; describes an unrealized past condition
- 近道を知っていたら、もっと早く着いていたでしょう。If I had known the shortcut, I probably would have arrived earlier.counterfactual with たら; both condition and result describe something that did not happen
This chapter introduces counterfactual awareness for recognition and controlled, supported production; learners are not expected to produce complex counterfactuals independently without a model.
Grammar Practice
- Complete 明日晴れる[と/ば/たら/なら]、ハイキングに行きます。 with the conditional that best expresses an automatic, weather-dependent plan, and explain your choice.
- Rewrite 駅に着きます。電話してください。 as one sentence using たら to express sequence and request.
- Write one sentence using なら that responds to a friend who has just said they are tired.
- Write one sentence using 場合 to describe a workplace or service procedure for a specific case.
- Write one counterfactual sentence, using the model pattern above, describing something you would have done differently.
Model Dialogue
Setting: Emma and her friend ゆうき talk the evening before their weekend hiking trip.
ないようりかい — Comprehension questions:
- What will Emma and Yuki do if it really rains tomorrow?
- What does Yuki suggest they do if Emma gets tired during the hike?
- What happened last year, and what does Emma say she would have done if she had known the shortcut?
Guided Practice
タスク１ — Identify the conditional. Read five sentences provided by your instructor or partner and decide whether each uses と, ば, たら, or なら, and explain why that form fits the situation.
タスク２ — Compare with the comparison table. Using the comparison table in the Grammar section, write one original sentence for each of the four conditionals describing the same basic situation (for example, being tired), adjusting the nuance each time.
タスク３ — もし and 場合. Write two sentences: one using もし to introduce a hypothetical situation, and one using 場合 to describe a formal or procedural case.
タスク４ — Counterfactual recognition. Read three counterfactual sentences and identify, in your own words, what actually happened and what did not happen in each.
タスク５ — Plan your account. Using the Building Block pattern from the Grammar section, outline a short account giving advice, a warning, and a procedure for a specific case, choosing the conditional form that fits each part.
Listening Practice
Ask your instructor, a partner, or a text-to-speech tool to read the following passage aloud at a clear, moderate pace.
きくタスク — A hiking-club safety announcement
明日、もし天気が悪くなったら、ハイキングは中止しますので、朝七時までにメッセージを確認してください。天気がよければ、予定通り出発します。山道で疲れた場合は、無理をしないで、すぐに休んでください。もし道に迷ったら、その場から動かないで、すぐに連絡してください。水が足りなくなりそうな場合は、近くのメンバーに声をかければ、分けてもらえます。
聞くタスク — Listening task: Identify (1) what happens if the weather turns bad, (2) what to do if you get tired on the mountain trail, (3) what to do if you get lost, (4) what to do if you're running low on water, and (5) one example each of と, ば, たら, and なら (or もし, or 場合) used in the announcement.
This script combines all four productive conditional patterns from this chapter with もし and 場合 in a realistic safety-announcement context.
Speaking Practice
コントロールされた練習 — Controlled practice: Quick transformation prompts
- 「天気がいいです。出発します」を、ばを使った文にしてください。
- 「駅に着きます。電話してください」を、たらを使った文にしてください。
- 「疲れています」に対して、なら使ったアドバイスの文を作ってください。
コミュニケーションタスク — Partner interview
With a partner, take turns giving each other advice about a plan, a trip, or a task, using at least two different conditional forms. Then take turns describing a procedure for a specific case using 場合, such as what to do if a machine breaks or a visitor arrives without an appointment, and ask your partner at least one follow-up question.
ひとりでもできる練習 — Solo practice: A rehearsed set of instructions
Prepare and record a thirty-to-sixty-second spoken account describing a real or invented plan, trip, or task, including at least one automatic or habitual result with と or ば, one sequential or request-based sentence with たら, and one piece of advice with なら. Listen back and check your pronunciation of the small っ before た and the vowel length in the ば ending.
Reading Practice
Read the following short workplace notice, then answer the questions below.
お知らせ — Front-Desk Procedures for New Volunteers
予約がある場合は、名前を確認してから、担当者に連絡してください。予約がない場合は、少々お待ちいただくよう伝えてください。もしプリンターが故障したら、無理に直そうとしないで、すぐに担当者に知らせてください。分からないことがあれば、いつでも遠慮なく質問してください。困った場合は、マニュアルを確認すれば、たいてい答えが見つかります。それでも分からなければ、担当者に相談したほうがいいです。
This notice combines 場合, もし, and all four conditional endings in a realistic front-desk procedural context.
ないようりかい — Comprehension questions:
- What should a volunteer do if a visitor has a reservation?
- What should a volunteer do if the printer breaks down?
- What does the notice suggest doing first if a volunteer is unsure of something?
- Identify one example each of ば, たら, and 場合 used in the notice.
Writing Workshop
In this workshop you will draft the written portion of your Practical Performance Task: a short account giving advice, a warning, and a procedure for a specific case.
- Choose a real or invented setting: a trip, a workplace, a class, or a household task with rules or procedures.
- Give advice using at least one sentence with ば or なら, matching the form to whether you are stating a general condition or responding to a known situation.
- Give a warning or sequential instruction using at least one sentence with たら, and consider whether もし would add helpful clarity.
- Describe a procedure for a specific case using at least one sentence with 場合.
- Revise your draft using the checklist below.
チェックリスト — Editing checklist:
- My account includes at least two different conditional forms (と, ば, たら, or なら).
- Each conditional form matches the nuance of automatic result, general condition, sequence/request, or topic-based advice.
- My account includes at least one sentence with 場合 describing a specific case.
- I used もし where it helps clarify a hypothetical situation.
- I did not confuse なら, which responds to a known situation, with a brand-new hypothesis better expressed with もし + たら or ば.
- I checked this chapter's new kanji readings without relying on furigana where possible.
Culture and Communication
The word 場合 appears frequently in public signs, manuals, workplace notices, and institutional announcements to describe a specific case in a neutral, procedural way, such as what to do if a machine malfunctions or if a visitor arrives without a reservation. Recognizing this pattern helps learners navigate real signage and instructions in many public and institutional settings.
While と, ば, たら, and なら each have typical communicative tendencies, individual speakers and regions may show some flexibility in which conditional they favor for a given situation, especially in casual conversation. The distinctions taught in this chapter describe reliable, broadly applicable patterns rather than rigid, universal rules that every speaker follows identically.
Many languages distinguish real conditions from hypothetical or counterfactual ones using separate verb forms, moods, or particles, though the boundaries and forms differ substantially from language to language. Comparing how your own language marks a real "if" versus a hypothetical or counterfactual "if" can help clarify why Japanese uses four distinct conditional forms rather than one all-purpose word.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Error: *駅に着くと、電話してください。 intended as "when you arrive at the station, please call me," using と with a direct request.
Correction: 駅に着いたら、電話してください。 — use たら, which comfortably supports a request in the result clause, rather than と, which is reserved mainly for automatic or habitual results.
Error: *明日雨が降るなら、ハイキングは中止します。 used as an opening statement with no prior mention of rain, when なら is more natural responding to an already-raised topic.
Correction: もし明日雨が降ったら、ハイキングは中止します。 — use もし with たら to introduce a new hypothetical condition, and reserve なら for responding to a condition the listener has already raised or that is already assumed.
Error: Reading 近道を知っていたら、もっと早く着いていたでしょう。 as a simple future condition, missing that both the condition and the result describe something that did not actually happen.
Correction: Recognize that when both the condition and the result use past-tense-based forms describing an unrealized situation, the sentence is counterfactual: it means "if I had known the shortcut, I would have arrived earlier" — but I did not know it, and I did not arrive earlier.
Chapter Review
Section A — ごい (Vocabulary)
1. Use 条件, 場合, 可能性, 警告, and 選択 each in one original sentence about a plan, a warning, or a preference.
Section B — もじ (Script)
1. Write the readings for all four new kanji words in the Script and Kanji Focus section from memory, then check them against that section.
Section C — ぶんぽう (Grammar)
1. Complete the five Grammar Practice items above, if you have not already done so.
2. Explain, in your own words, the difference between たら and なら, and give one original example of each, in context, that makes the meaning clear.
Section D — どっかいりかい (Reading comprehension)
1. Look again at the notice in the Reading Practice section. Write two sentences summarizing the procedure for the printer breaking down and the advice for an unsure volunteer, using at least one conditional form of your own.
Section E — かくこと (Writing)
1. Complete your account of advice, a warning, and a procedure, following the Writing Workshop steps, as part of the Practical Performance Task below.
Section F — はなすこと (Speaking)
1. Present your rehearsed set of instructions and complete the partner interview task, as part of the Practical Performance Task below.
Practical Performance Task
パフォーマンスタスク
条件を使い分ける — Giving advice, a warning, and a procedure
Prepare an account of a trip, workplace, class, or household task described in the Communication Scenario, or one of your own choosing. Complete all four components below.
- Written account: Write a short account of at least five sentences that includes at least two different conditional forms (と, ば, たら, or なら), at least one sentence using 場合, and, where appropriate, もし.
- Spoken report: With a partner, instructor, or recording, perform a thirty-to-sixty-second spoken account of the same setting, using at least two conditional forms and 場合.
- Partner interview: With a partner or instructor, ask and answer at least two questions requiring a conditional-form answer about plans, advice, or procedures.
- Peer or self-audit: Exchange your written account with a partner, or review your own after a break, and check specifically for correct conditional choice (matching nuance to situation), correct use of 場合, and clear pronunciation of ば and たら endings.
Assessment focus: accurate use of this chapter's vocabulary and kanji; correct formation and appropriate choice among と, ば, たら, and なら; appropriate use of もし and 場合; recognition of counterfactual meaning; and comprehensible, accurate pronunciation.
Answer Key
Core Vocabulary and Script Review
Open-ended; check readings and sentences against the Core Vocabulary table and the Script and Kanji Focus section above.
Grammar Practice
- Model answer: 明日晴れると、ハイキングに行きます。 (と is natural here because the plan follows automatically from the weather; ば or たら are also acceptable with a slightly different nuance, and either should be accepted with a reasonable explanation.)
- Model answer: 駅に着いたら、電話してください。
- Model answer: 疲れているなら、休んだほうがいいですよ。
- Model answer: 予約がない場合は、少々お待ちください。
- Model answer: もっと早く出発していたら、道が込む前に着けたと思います。
Model Dialogue — Comprehension
- If it really rains, they will cancel the hike.
- Yuki suggests that if Emma gets tired, they can simply rest partway.
- Last year Emma did not know the shortcut and got lost; she says that if she had known the shortcut, she thinks she would have reached the summit much earlier.
Listening Practice — Model summary
If the weather turns bad, the hike will be cancelled, so members should check for a message by seven in the morning. If the weather is good, the group will leave as planned. If someone gets tired on the trail, they should rest right away rather than push themselves. If someone gets lost, they should stay where they are and contact the group immediately. If someone is running low on water, another member can share some if asked.
Reading Practice — Comprehension
- If a visitor has a reservation, the volunteer should confirm the name and then contact the person in charge.
- If the printer breaks down, the volunteer should not try to fix it themselves and should notify the person in charge right away.
- The notice suggests checking the manual first if unsure, since the answer can usually be found there.
- A ば example is 確認すれば; a たら example is 故障したら; 場合 appears in 予約がある場合 and 予約がない場合.
Chapter Review — Sections A and B
Open-ended; check against the Core Vocabulary and Script and Kanji Focus sections above.
Chapter Review — Section C
Open-ended for item 1; see Grammar Practice guidance above. For item 2, a correct explanation notes that たら typically introduces a new sequential condition, discovery, request, or counterfactual, while なら typically responds to a situation the listener has already mentioned or that is already assumed, often to give advice about that specific topic.
Chapter Review — Section D
Model answer: プリンターが故障したら、すぐに担当者に知らせなければならない。困った場合は、まずマニュアルを確認したほうがいい。 (Other accurate answers accepted.)
Chapter Review — Sections E and F, and Practical Performance Task
These are open-ended production tasks. Evaluate the written account against the Writing Workshop checklist above, and evaluate the spoken report, partner interview, and peer or self-audit against the assessment focus listed under the Practical Performance Task.
Looking Ahead
いまできること — What you can do now
You can choose confidently among と, ば, たら, and なら, mark hypothetical situations with もし, describe formal or procedural cases with 場合, and recognize simple counterfactual sentences, in addition to the potential, causative, and passive systems developed in Chapters 7 and 8. This completes the core grammar work of Unit II, 視点と条件, and prepares you to bring keigo, passive and causative forms, and conditionals together for the unit assessment.