Conditionals: How to say “if” in Japanese?

In Japanese, you can use 〜たら (transcribed -tara) for most types of conditional sentences, including cases where you’re almost certain that the condition will be met.

• Once I hear back from her, I’ll let you know the answer.

  I am basically sure I will hear back from her.
• If it rains tomorrow, I’ll wear rain boots.

  I do not know for sure that it will rain, but I consider it a real possibility so I am making a plan.

Now let’s look at how to create sentences with this conditional marker!

The marker 〜たら (transcribed -tara) is actually created by combining the plain ta-form (past tense), which usually ends in 〜た (transcribed ta), with the ending 〜ら (transcribed ra). Notice that there is a comma after 〜ら!

In Japanese, you’ll often use 〜たら (transcribed -tara) in cases where you’re basically certain the condition will be met, where you might use “when,” “after,” or “once,” in English. For example:

• 9時になったら、パーティを始めましょう。

  Transcription: Kuji ni nattara, pāti o hajimemashō.

  Translation: When it is 9 p.m., let’s start the party.
• 晩ご飯を食べたら、散歩に行きます。

  Transcription: Ban gohan o tabetara, sanpo ni ikimasu.

  Translation: After eating dinner, I will go for a walk.

If you want to clarify that you’re less certain that the condition will be met, you can add the word もし (transcribed moshi) at the beginning of the sentence.

In most cases a sentence with 〜たら is translated with “if”, you can use ば (transcribed ba) as your conditional marker instead. Let’s look at this second marker now!

When you use ば (transcribed ba), you’re also usually implying that the only way to get the result is to meet the condition. Here are a couple examples of English sentences you might translate using ば (transcribed ba).

• I’ll give you a candy if you say ‘please.’

  It’s implied that unless you say “please” you won’t get a candy.
• If you look carefully, you’ll find your keys.

  It’s implied that the reason you haven’t found your keys is that you haven’t looked carefully.

As we saw above, the marker ば (transcribed ba) is added after the condition.

Unfortunately, though, it’s not quite that simple! This is because the final word of the condition will combine with ば (transcribed ba) in a variety of ways to form a special conditional form or ba-form. Let’s look more closely!

Use と (transcribed to) to mark a condition in cases where the condition always or naturally produces a certain result. You’ll usually use this marker when you’re stating a fact about the world or about a person, rather than conveying a plan. The result is always outside of the speaker’s control.

• Whenever I visit, she makes tea.

  I’m stating a fact about visiting her. I can’t control her behavior.
• When the sun comes up, it gets warmer.

  This is a fact about the world. I can’t control the world.

This conditional marker is easy to use! Just place と (transcribed to) after the plain present form of the predicate.

A Japanese conditional with なら (transcribed nara) is classically used to express what the speaker would want to say now, if they knew for sure that the condition would be met or had been met.

In conversation, you’ll often use this after someone actually gives you the information, like you might use “now that I know that…” or “if that’s true then…”.

Note, though, that we don’t use this to express objective facts. It’s mostly for conveying the speaker’s beliefs, thoughts, plans, advice, commands, etc.

Using なら (transcribed nara) in conditionals is quite simple: it simply follows the plain present form. It is possible to place the nominalizer の (transcribed no) directly between the condition and the conditional なら (transcribed nara), but this is optional. Note that in conversation, の (transcribed no) is often reduced to ん (transcribed n) in this context!

Notice that, in all the examples above, the result is what the speaker would say if someone right now gave them the information that the condition will be met.

Here’s an example of how you might use なら (transcribed nara) in a conversation.

If the result comes before the condition is actually met, you’ll always want to use なら (transcribed nara).

• ニューヨークに行くなら、バスで行った方がいいです。

  Transcription: Nyūyōku ni iku nara, basu de itta hō ga iidesu.

  Translation: If you go to New York, you should take a bus (to get there).

  You would take the bus before getting to New York.
• 田中さんが来るなら、教えて下さい。

  Transcription: Tanaka san ga kuru nara, oshiete kudasai.

  Translation: If Mr. Tanaka is coming, please let me know.

  You should tell the speaker now. There’s no reason to wait for Mr. Tanaka to arrive.

Recall that you’ll use なら (transcribed nara) to convey what you would say, if you knew that the condition would be met. You might, therefore, be talking about something that would happen either before or after the time the condition is met.

The conditional markers 〜たら (transcribed -tara), と (transcribed to), and ば (transcribed ba) cannot be used if the result comes first. They are only used in cases where the result comes after the condition is met.

• このボタンを押したら、ドアが開きます。

  Transcription: Kono botan o oshitara, doa ga hirakimasu.

  Translation: If you push this button, then the door will open.
• このボタンを押せば、ドアが開きます。

  Transcription: Kono botan o oseba, doa ga hirakimasu.

  Translation: If you (just) push this button, then the door will open.
• このボタンを押すと、ドアが開きます。

  Transcription: Kono botan o osu to, doa ga hirakimasu.

  Translation: Whenever you push the button, the door will open.

If the “result” is a request, command, invitation, suggestion, or expression of desire, you should use 〜たら (transcribed tara), なら (transcribed nara), or sometimes ば (transcribed ba).

• If the condition is a state, all three can be used. The only real difference between the three is that ば (transcribed ba) sounds a little more formal.

  • 安かったら、買いたいです。

    Transcription: Yasukatta ra, kaitai desu.

    Translation: If (it’s) cheap, I want to buy (it).
  • 安いなら、買いたいです。

    Transcription: Yasui nara, kaitai desu.

    Translation: If (it’s) cheap, I want to buy (it).
  • 安ければ、買いたいです。

    Transcription: Yasukereba, kaitai desu.

    Translation: If (it’s) cheap, I want to buy (it).

    slightly more formal

• If the condition is an action, though, use 〜たら (transcribed tara) or なら (transcribed nara). Notice, though, that here there is a slight difference in meaning between the two!

  • 田中さんが来たら、教えて下さい。

    Transcription: Tanaka san ga kitara, oshiete kudasai.

    Translation: When Mr. Tanaka comes, please let me know.

    The speaker wants to be notified after Mr. Tanaka arrives.
  • 田中さんが来るなら、教えて下さい。

    Transcription: Tanaka san ga kuru nara, oshiete kudasai.

    Translation: If Mr. Tanaka is coming, please let me know.

    The speaker wants to be notified now Mr. Tanaka arrives.

  ば (transcribed ba) should not be used if the condition is an action.

  ❌ 田中さんが来れば、教えて下さい。

  Transcription: Tanaka san ga kureba, oshiete kudasai.

If the “result” is a request, command, invitation, suggestion, or expression of desire, you should never use と (transcribed to) as your conditional marker.

When you’re using a conditional to talk about a hypothetical situation, you can use たら (transcribed tara), なら (transcribed nara), or ば (transcribed ba). However the exact structure will depend on what kind of hypothetical situation you’re discussing. Let’s have a look.

If the conditional sentence describes a general truth or habit, you can use たら (transcribed tara), と (transcribed to), or ば (transcribed ba).

• 赤と青を混ぜたら、紫になります。

  Transcription: Aka to ao o mazetara, murasaki ni narimasu.

  Translation: When you mix red and blue, it (always) becomes purple.
• 赤と青を混ぜると、紫になります。

  Transcription: Aka to ao o mazeruto, murasaki ni narimasu.

  Translation: When you mix red and blue, it (always) becomes purple.
• 赤と青を混ぜれば、紫になります。

  Transcription: Aka to ao o mazereba, murasaki ni narimasu.

  Translation: When you mix red and blue, it (always) becomes purple.

You can also use these markers to describe a past habit. The tense of the verb in the condition does not change, but the result is past tense.

• 祖母の家に行ったら、いつもお菓子をもらえた。

  Transcription: Sobo no ie ni ittara, itsumo okashi o moraeta.

  Translation: When I went to my grandmother’s house, she always gave me snacks.
• 祖母の家に行くと、いつもお菓子をもらえた。

  Transcription: Sobo no ie ni ikuto, itsumo okashi o moraeta.

  Translation: When I went to my grandmother’s house, she always gave me snacks.
• 祖母の家に行けば、いつもお菓子をもらえた。

  Transcription: Sobo no ie ni ikeba, itsumo okashi o moraeta.

  Translation: When I went to my grandmother’s house, she always gave me snacks.

You will not ever use なら (transcribed nara) to describe truths or habits, because these are not matters of opinion!

In other cases where the condition is in the past, you’ll usually なら (transcribed nara). Notice that, in the example below, the sentence is not hypothetical and does not describe a past habit.

In this case, the verb is in the past tense, and の (transcribed no) appears between the verb and the conditional marker!

If you use たら (transcribed tara) or と (transcribed to) to form a “conditional” like this, the sentence will be grammatical, but it’ll still be understood to describe a past habit or to just describe something that happened one time.

• カーテンの色を変えたら、部屋が明るくなりました

  Transcription: Kāten no iro o kaetara, heya ga akaruku narimashita.

  Translation: When I changed the color of the curtains, the room became brighter.

  This is something that happened one time: not really a conditional.
• カーテンの色を変えると、部屋が明るくなりました。

  Transcription: Kāten no iro o kaeru to, heya ga akaruku narimashita.

  Translation: When I changed the color of the curtains, the room became brighter.

• When the “result” happens before the condition is met → Use なら (transcribed tara)

• When the “result” is the speaker’s opinion/evaluation → Use なら (transcribed tara)

• In a formal speech or writing → Use ば (transcribed ba)

• To stress the importance of meeting the condition → ば (transcribed ba) preferred

• For hypotheticals → ば (transcribed ba) preferred

• For a general truth → ば (transcribed ba) or と (transcribed to) preferred