だったら

だ

っ

た

ら

Common wordJLPTN3

Meanings

1

conjunction

if that's the case; then; if so

Colloquial conditional conjunction derived from the copula だ. Used to present a consequence or suggestion based on a preceding statement or situation.

Usage patterns

〈事こと〉だったらif it's the case that ~ (reacting to a stated situation)
雨あめだったら、試し合あいは中ちゅう止しです。
If it's raining, the game will be cancelled.
〈人ひと〉だったらif it were [someone] (hypothesizing what a person would do)
田た中なかさんだったら、きっと引ひき受うけてくれるよ。
If it were Tanaka, I'm sure he'd take it on.

Expressions

何なんだったらif you like; if you want; if it suits you

Related words

ならN1
なら is the more general conditional word usable after nouns, verbs, and adjectives, while だったら is specifically the colloquial conditional form of the copula だ.
それならN4
それなら explicitly repeats それ (that) before the conditional, whereas だったら can attach directly to the noun or clause just stated without repeating it.
そしたら
そしたら is a casual conjunction meaning "and then/if so" that often continues a narrative, while だったら reacts more directly to a stated fact or condition.
さらば
だったら is a casual, conversational equivalent for 'if that's the case', while さらば as a conjunction is stiff, archaic, and rarely heard in speech.

Politeness

であればpolite 丁寧語
であれば is the formal, written-register counterpart of だったら, used in business or formal speech instead of the casual だったら.

Etymology

Conditional form of the copula だ (the past/perfective form だった + conditional particle ら).