Lesson 158: ないことには・ない限り・限り・ものなら

N2 · Lesson 158 · 18 min — Can't do it until you do ~, unless ~ then ~, as long as ~ still ~, if I could ~ I'd love to ~: the night of the video call with Grandpa

Last lesson, Rin and Neko-sensei decided to go to Kyoto together to meet はなさん. This lesson has four ways to talk about conditions: ないことには (nothing happens until you do ~), ない限かぎり (unless ~), 限かぎり (as long as ~ still ~), and ものなら (if I could ~). Let's start with the comic!

After this lesson, you can:

• Use ないことには to say "If you don't ~ first, you can't ~": 会あわないことには、始はじまらない
• Use ない限かぎり to say "unless ~, then ~", and tell it apart from ないことには
• Use 限かぎり to say "as long as ~ still ~"; use 限かぎりでは to say "as far as ~ goes"
• Use potential form + ものなら to say "if I could ~, I'd love to ~": 来こられる ものなら

Grandpa's Decision

After deciding to meet はなさん in Kyoto, Rin quickly video calls Grandpa in Taiwan. (たつ = time passes)

ないことには = can't unless you do it first, ない限かぎり = unless, 限かぎり = as long as, ものなら = if I could. Next lesson: a newspaper column starts a big argument!

Words for this lesson: conditions and Grandpa's legs

• 〜ないことには (nai koto ni wa): if you don't ~ first, (you can't) ~
• 〜ない 限かぎり (nai kagiri): unless ~, then ~; as long as ~ doesn't happen, (always) ~
• 〜限かぎり (kagiri): as long as (still) ~, ~
• 〜限かぎりでは (kagiri de wa): as far as ~ goes, judging from ~
• 〜ものなら (mono nara): if I could ~ (I'd love to ~)
• 始はじまる (hajimaru): to begin (intransitive)
• 動うごく (ugoku): to move; (machines) to work
• 止とめる (tomeru): to stop (someone or something)
• 医者いしゃ (isha): doctor
• 続つづく (tsuzuku): to continue; (money, strength) to last
• 名物めいぶつ (meibutsu): famous local specialty
• たつ (tatsu): (time) to pass
• 戻もどる (modoru): to go back, to return
• 代かわる (kawaru): to take someone's place, to replace (代かわって あげる = do it for someone)
• 予約よやく (yoyaku): reservation, to book
• 実際じっさいに (jissai ni): in fact, in person (actually doing it)

Grammar 1 / 4: ないことには

Verb ない form + ことには = if you don't ~ first, (you can't) ~: you must do one thing first before the next thing is possible. 会あわないことには、何なにも 始はじまらない = If we don't meet first, nothing will start.

• Form: V ない form + ことには: Change the verb to the ない form, then add ことには: 会あう → 会あわないことには、予約よやくする → 予約よやくしないことには.
• Meaning: if you don't ~ first, you can't ~: The first half is "what you must do first." The second half is "what you can't do without it." Neko-sensei means: don't worry about what to say. Once you meet, the next step will come.
• The ending is always negative: The second half is often a negative or "can't" phrase like わからない, 始はじまらない, 決きめられない. You can't end with a positive sentence like "you'll get good."
• Close to てからでないと: You already know 〜てからでないと, which also means "not until you ~ first": 医者いしゃに 聞きいてからでないと、決きめられない. ないことには is stronger: "if you don't do this, forget everything else."

• 会あわないことには、何なにも 始はじまらない。 — If we don't meet first, nothing will start.
• 食たべて みないことには、味あじは わからない。 — If you don't try it first, you won't know the taste.
• 予約よやくしないことには、この 店みせには 入はいれない。 — If you don't book first, you can't get into this shop.
• 医者いしゃに 聞きかないことには、旅行りょこうは 決きめられない。 — If you don't ask the doctor first, you can't decide whether to travel.
• 実際じっさいに 行いって みないことには、何なにも 言いえない。 — If you don't actually go and see, you can't say anything.

Grammar 2 / 4: ない限かぎり

Verb ない form + 限かぎり = unless ~, then ~; as long as ~ doesn't happen, ~: if that one thing doesn't happen, the situation stays the same. 医者いしゃが 止とめない 限かぎり、春はるに 会あえる = Unless the doctor stops it, we can meet in spring.

• Form: V ない form + 限かぎり: Add 限かぎり to the verb's ない form: 止とめる → 止とめない 限かぎり、降ふる → 降ふらない 限かぎり.
• Meaning: unless ~, then ~: The first half is "the thing that would change the situation." As long as it doesn't happen, the state or decision in the second half stays true. Rin means: as long as the doctor doesn't say no, we can meet in spring.
• Positive or negative endings both work: 毎朝まいあさ 走はしる (positive) and 上手じょうずには ならない (negative) are both fine. With a positive ending, you can't swap in ないことには.
• Compare with ないことには: With a negative ending, both often work: 練習れんしゅうしない 限かぎり／練習れんしゅうしないことには、上手じょうずに ならない. ないことには stresses "you must do it first." ない限かぎり stresses "unless this happens."

• 医者いしゃが 止とめない 限かぎり、春はるに 会あえる。 — Unless the doctor stops it, we can meet in spring.
• 雨あめが 降ふらない 限かぎり、毎朝まいあさ 走はしる。 — Unless it rains, I run every morning.
• 練習れんしゅうしない 限かぎり、上手じょうずには ならない。 — Unless you practice, you won't get good.
• 大雪おおゆきが 降ふらない 限かぎり、ツアーは 予定よていどおりです。 — Unless it snows heavily, the guided tour goes ahead as planned.
• リンが 話はなさない 限かぎり、だれにも わからない。 — Unless Rin says it himself, nobody will know.

Grammar 3 / 4: 限かぎり

Verb dictionary form / ている form + 限かぎり（は） = as long as (still) ~, ~: while this state continues, the second part stays true. 足あしが 動うごく 限かぎり、行いく = As long as my legs still move, I'll go. Also: 知しって いる 限かぎりでは = as far as I know.

• Form: V dictionary form / V ている + 限かぎり（は）: 動うごく 限かぎり、住すんで いる 限かぎり. You can also add は: 動うごく 限かぎりは.
• Meaning: as long as (still) ~, ~: The first half is "a state that is still going." The second half is something true, or a decision, for that whole time. Grandpa means: as long as my legs move, I will definitely go.
• 限かぎりでは = as far as ~ goes: It often follows verbs that give you information, like 知しって いる, 見みる／見みた, 聞きいた, 調しらべた: わたしが 知しって いる 限かぎりでは. The た form is also common before 限かぎりでは: 見みた 限かぎりでは、聞きいた 限かぎりでは. After it, give your own judgment (近ちかそうだ, ある), not an invitation or a command.
• A pair with ない限かぎり: Positive + 限かぎり = as long as ~ still; negative + 限かぎり = unless ~: 動うごく 限かぎり (as long as it still moves) / 止とめない 限かぎり (unless someone stops it). Careful: 〜とは 限かぎらない, which you already learned, means "not necessarily." It's a completely different meaning.

• 足あしが 動うごく 限かぎり、行いく。 — As long as my legs still move, I'll go.
• 体からだが 動うごく 限かぎり、この 店みせを 続つづける。 — As long as my body can still move, I'll keep this shop open.
• この 町まちに 住すんで いる 限かぎり、ラーメンには 困こまらない。 — As long as you live on this street, you'll never run out of ramen.
• わたしが 知しって いる 限かぎりでは、あの 店みせは 今いまも ある。 — As far as I know, that shop is still there.
• 地図ちずで 見みた 限かぎりでは、駅えきは 近ちかそうだ。 — Judging from the map, the station seems very close.

Grammar 4 / 4: ものなら

Verb potential form + ものなら = if I could ~ (I'd love to ~): the first part is very hard to do, and the second part is a wish. 来こられる ものなら、来きて ほしい = If you could come, I'd love for you to come.

• Form: V potential form + ものなら: First change the verb to the potential form, then add ものなら: 行いく → 行いける ものなら、来くる → 来こられる ものなら、する → できる ものなら. Use the potential form, or a verb that already means "can," like できる.
• Meaning: if I could ~: The speaker feels "I probably can't," but says the wish anyway. Compared with 〜たら and 〜なら, it adds a feeling of "it's tough, but..."
• The ending is a wish: The second half is often 〜たい, 〜て ほしい or 〜て あげたい. It cannot end with something that already happened (〜た).
• Neko-sensei's joke: "食たべられる ものなら 全部ぜんぶ 食たべたい!" treats "eat everything" as a hard wish. He is really bragging about his appetite. Rin answers: as long as your money lasts! But Neko-sensei's wallet always has 0 yen.

• 来こられる ものなら、おじいちゃんにも 来きて ほしい。 — If he could come, I'd love Grandpa to come too.
• 戻もどれる ものなら、五十年ごじゅうねん 前まえに 戻もどりたい。 — If I could go back, I'd love to go back fifty years.
• できる ものなら、今いますぐ 京都きょうとに 行いきたい。 — If I could, I'd love to go to Kyoto right now.
• 代かわれる ものなら、代かわって あげたい。 — If I could take your place, I'd love to bear it for you.
• 食たべられる ものなら、全部ぜんぶ 食たべたい。 — If I could manage it, I'd love to eat it all.