Lesson 64: 春に なったら

N4 · Lesson 64 · 18 min — Say “if ~”, “once ~” and “whenever ~”, then use たらどうですか to give a friend a suggestion

Last lesson: “looks like ~” and “smells like ~”. This lesson is about conditions. If you know the ta-form, just add ら and you can say “if ~”. You will also learn と for “whenever ~, then ~”, and たらどうですか for giving a friend an idea.

After this lesson, you can:

• Use たら for “if ~”: 雨あめが 降ふったら、うちに います。(If it rains, I'll stay home.)
• Use たら for “once ~”: 駅えきに 着ついたら、電話でんわします。(Once I get to the station, I'll call.)
• Use と for machines, seasons and routes, “when you ~, then ~”: まっすぐ 行いくと、駅えきが あります。
• Use たらどうですか to give a gentle suggestion: 先生せんせいに 聞きいたら どうですか。

“When Spring Comes” Promise

Mr. Kuma called it “the master's taste.” At year-end, Rin takes out Grandpa's envelope again... (また = again; さくらもち = sakura mochi)

たら = if ~ / once ~; と = whenever ~, always ~; たらどう? = suggestion. Next: year-end cleaning, an old wooden box in the storeroom...

Words for this lesson: promises, directions and suggestions

• 春はる (haru): spring
• もし (moshi): if (by chance)
• さくらもち (sakuramochi): sakura mochi
• 着つく (tsuku): to arrive
• まっすぐ (massugu): straight (ahead)
• 右みぎ (migi): right (side)
• まがる (magaru): to turn
• ボタン (botan): button
• おす (osu): to press, to push
• きっぷ (kippu): ticket
• ひま (hima): free (time), not busy
• 休やすむ (yasumu): to rest
• あたたかい (atatakai): warm
• 電話でんわする (denwa suru): to phone, to call

Grammar 1 / 3: たら

Ta-form + ら: if ~; once ~

• Meaning 1: if ~: You don't know yet if it will happen, so you imagine it: 雨あめが 降ふったら、うちに います (If it rains, I'll stay home). Add もし to make the “what if” feeling clearer: もし 雨あめだったら⋯⋯
• Meaning 2: once ~, then ~: You can also use たら for things that will surely happen. It means “after ~ happens, then ~”: 駅えきに 着ついたら、電話でんわします (Once I get to the station, I'll call). 春はるに なったら in the comic is this type: spring will surely come, and when it does, then...
• Forming 1: verb = ta-form + ら: 行いった → 行いったら / 食たべた → 食たべたら / した → したら. However the ta-form changes, たら changes the same way.
• Forming 2: adjectives, nouns, negatives: i-adjective: い → かったら (高たかかったら; いい → よかったら) / na-adjective and noun: ＋だったら (ひまだったら、雨あめだったら) / negative: ない → なかったら (わからなかったら)
• You can follow with a request, an invitation or a decision: After たら you can put a request (〜て ください), an invitation (〜ませんか) or your own decision (〜ます). For example: ひまだったら、いっしょに 行いきませんか。

• 雨あめが 降ふったら、うちで 映画えいがを 見みます。 — If it rains, I'll watch a movie at home.
• 高たかかったら、買かいません。 — If it's expensive, I won't buy it.
• ひまだったら、いっしょに 行いきませんか。 — If you're free, would you like to go together?
• 駅えきに 着ついたら、電話でんわして ください。 — Once you get to the station, please call me.
• わからなかったら、先生せんせいに 聞きいて ください。 — If you don't understand, please ask the teacher.

Grammar 2 / 3: と

Dictionary form + と: when ~, then ~ (a sure result)

• Meaning: when ~, then (always) ~: When the first thing happens, the second follows naturally and automatically. It is most common for machine operations, seasons and nature, directions, and things that happen the same way every time.
• Forming: plain present + と: Verbs use the dictionary form: おす → おすと、なる → なると. i-adjectives attach directly: 安やすいと. na-adjectives and nouns need だ: ひまだと、雨あめだと. Don't use the ta-form before と: ✗ おしたと.
• No requests, invitations or your own decisions after と: What follows と is “something that always happens”. So you can't put a request (〜て ください), an invitation (〜ませんか、〜ましょう) or a decision like “I will ~” after it: ✗ 駅えきに 着つくと、電話でんわします → ○ 着ついたら、電話でんわします. (まっすぐ 行いくと、駅えきが あります is fine, because the station is simply there. It is not your decision.)
• Two different と: noun + と + noun (A と B) = “and”; dictionary form + と、⋯⋯ = “when ~, then ~”. Look at what comes before と. A noun or a verb tells you which one it is.

• 春はるに なると、あたたかく なります。 — When spring comes, it gets warm.
• この ボタンを おすと、きっぷが 出でます。 — Press this button, and a ticket comes out.
• まっすぐ 行いくと、右みぎに 駅えきが あります。 — Go straight, and the station is on your right.
• 右みぎに まがると、くまやが あります。 — Turn right, and there is くまや.
• 十二月じゅうにがつに なると、町まちが にぎやかに なります。 — When December comes, the town gets lively.

Grammar 3 / 3: たらどう

Ta-form + ら + どうですか: How about ~? (a suggestion)

• Meaning: How about ~? (a suggestion): When someone is worried or doesn't know what to do, you can offer a light idea: 先生せんせいに 聞きいたら どうですか (How about asking the teacher?).
• Forming: ta-form + ら + どうですか: Make the ta-form just like たら, then add どうですか. With friends, just どう?: 行いったら どう?, 電話でんわしたら どう?. In the comic, Kumata says 春はるに なったら、その 木きの 前まえに 行いったら どう?. The first たら is a condition (when spring comes). Only the last たら どう? is the suggestion.
• Compared with たほうがいい: 休やすんだ ほうが いいです = you'd better rest (stronger, with worry or a reason behind it). 休やすんだら どうですか = how about a rest? (lighter, just an idea: take it or leave it).
• Rare with elders: With teachers and elders, 〜たら どうですか can sound like you are instructing them. It is most common among friends, classmates and younger people.

• 地図ちずを 見みたら どうですか。 — How about looking at the map?
• つかれたら、すこし 休やすんだら どうですか。 — If you're tired, how about taking a rest?
• くまやで 食たべたら どうですか。 — How about eating at くまや?
• その 木きの 下したに 行いったら どう？ — How about going to look under that tree?
• 友ともだちに 電話でんわしたら どう？ — How about calling a friend?