JLPT N4Choice guide

Furigana

と・たら・ば・なら

Choosing a Japanese conditional

Do not begin by translating English “if.” First ask how you want to present the relationship: と for a regular consequence, たら for a particular possible situation or a completed first event, ば for the condition that enables a result, and なら for a premise you are taking up and responding to. These meanings overlap, but those four defaults make most choices much easier.

Start with the relationship, not the translation

Use と when B is presented as what naturally, regularly, or automatically follows A. Use たら when you are imagining one particular situation, or when A must finish before B occurs. Use ば when the important point is what condition will make the result possible. Use なら when A is a plan, fact, category, or possibility already under consideration and B is your response to it.

One situation, four different framings

These sentences all concern heating, but they do different jobs. The choice changes what the speaker presents as central; it is not simply a contest between one correct form and three incorrect ones.

このスイッチを押おすと、暖だん房ぼうがつきます。

When you press this switch, the heating comes on.

This describes the machine's regular operation.

寒さむかったら、暖だん房ぼうをつけてください。

If it is cold, please turn on the heating.

This sets up a particular situation and naturally leads to a request.

このボタンを押おせば、暖だん房ぼうを入いれられます。

You can turn on the heating if you press this button.

This identifies the action that makes the desired result possible.

暖だん房ぼうを使つかうなら、先さきに窓まどを閉しめてください。

If you are going to use the heating, please close the window first.

Using the heating is the premise for advice about earlier preparation.

Regular or automatic: choose the consequence form

このカードを入いれると、ドアが開ひらきます。

When you insert this card, the door opens.

The result is presented as built into the system, not as someone's decision.

A particular possibility: the broad everyday choice

For a specific future possibility, especially before a request, invitation, or intention, たら is usually the most flexible option.

明日あした晴はれたら、公こう園えんで昼ひるご飯はんを食たべませんか。

If it is sunny tomorrow, would you like to have lunch in the park?

席せきが空あいていたら、ここに座すわってください。

If the seat is free, please sit here.

Finding what will make the result possible

A

どうすれば、今日きょう中じゅうに申もうし込こめますか。

What should I do to apply by the end of today?

B

この用よう紙しをオンラインで送おくれば、申もうし込こめます。

You can apply if you send this form online.

The desired result is already clear. The answer supplies the condition that is enough to achieve it.

Taking up someone else's plan

A

来らい月げつ、車くるまで京きょう都とへ行いくつもりです。

I am planning to drive to Kyoto next month.

B

車くるまで行いくなら、早はやめに駐ちゅう車しゃ場じょうを予よ約やくしたほうがいいですよ。

If you are going by car, you should reserve parking early.

The reservation happens before the trip. This works because the trip is the basis for the advice, not the first event in a time sequence.

The same form: uncertain “if” or completed “once”

The visible form is identical. Classify it by the relationship. If the main issue is whether A will happen, it sets up an uncertain condition. If A's completion fixes when B happens, it means “when” or “once.”

電でん車しゃが遅おくれたら、先さきに連れん絡らくします。

If the train is delayed, I will contact you first.

The delay is a possible event whose occurrence is uncertain.

駅えきに着ついたら、地ち図ずを確かく認にんしましょう。

Once we arrive at the station, let's check the map.

Arrival must be complete before the map is checked.

A discovery after the first event

店みせに入はいったら、奥おくで友とも達だちが働はたらいていた。

When I entered the shop, I discovered that a friend was working in the back.

The second clause reports what was unexpectedly found after entering, not a planned next action.

Conversation and writing

All four families occur in both speech and writing. たら is particularly common and flexible in everyday conversation. なら is especially useful in dialogue because it naturally picks up what someone has just said. ば is common in explanations, advice, and problem solving, while と is common in instructions, descriptions of operation, habits, and general facts.

More examples across the family

夏なつになると、この湖みずうみには観かん光こう客きゃくが増ふえます。

When summer comes, the number of tourists at this lake increases.

会かい議ぎが早はやく終おわったら、一いっ緒しょにコーヒーを飲のみませんか。

If the meeting ends early, would you like to have coffee together?

身み分ぶん証しょう明めい書しょがあれば、その場ばで登とう録ろくできます。

If you have identification, you can register on the spot.

一人ひとりで作つくるなら、この小ちいさい型かたが使つかいやすいですよ。

If you are going to make it by yourself, this small mold is easy to use.

準じゅん備びが全ぜん部ぶできたら、担たん当とう者しゃに知しらせてください。

Once all the preparations are complete, please notify the person in charge.

箱はこを開あけたら、中なかに古ふるい手て紙がみが入はいっていた。

When I opened the box, I found an old letter inside.

この鍵かぎを回まわすと扉とびらが開ひらきますが、暗あん証しょう番ばん号ごうを入にゅう力りょくすれば鍵かぎがなくても開あけられます。

Turning this key opens the door, but entering the passcode lets you open it without a key.

参さん加かするなら今日きょう申もうし込こんでください。定てい員いんに達たっしたら、受うけ付つけを締しめ切きります。

If you plan to participate, please apply today. Once capacity is reached, registration will close.

Setting up hypothetical situationsUse this guide when you need advanced forms that explicitly ask the listener to suppose a case rather than one of these basic conditional relationships.Choosing between “even if” and “even though”Use this guide when the intended meaning is “even if” or “even though,” where the result holds despite the condition.Expressing a necessary prerequisiteUse this guide when the point is not an ordinary condition but a categorical claim that something cannot proceed without a required prior step or resource.