しからずんば

し

か

ら

ず

ん

ば

Meanings

1

conjunction

if not so; otherwise

usually written using kana alone

Archaic or highly formal literary conjunction meaning 'if it is not so' or 'otherwise'. In modern Japanese, そうでなければ or さもなければ are more common.

しからずんば、この計けい画かくは失しっ敗ぱいに終おわるだろう。
If not so, this plan will end in failure.

然sort of thing, so, if so

Similar words

そうでなければ
Modern standard equivalent meaning 'if not so' or 'otherwise', used in everyday speech and writing.
さもなければ
Common modern conjunction meaning 'otherwise' or 'or else', often with a sense of warning.

Etymology

Derived from classical Japanese 然らず (shikarazu, 'it is not so') + ば (ba, conditional particle). The form is now archaic and rarely used outside of literary or formal contexts.