Lesson 67: 春に なったら、わたしが さがす
N4 · Lesson 67 · 20 min — Review of Lessons 64–66 (also uses 62–63): たら・と・ば・なら・場合. Read the second half of the sentence and pick the right “if.”
No new grammar in this lesson! We put the four conditionals from Lessons 64–66 (たら・と・ば・なら, plus 場合) side by side. We also reuse かもしれない and 〜に見える from Lessons 62–63. In the questions, リン is Rin, 先生 is Neko-sensei, おじいちゃん is Grandpa, and くまや is Mr. Kuma's ramen shop.
After this lesson, you can:
- Use たら for “if ~” and “after ~, then ~,” and give advice with たらどうですか
- Use と for “whenever ~, then ~” (natural results), and know that と can't be followed by a request
- Make the ば-form; use ばいい to ask how to do something and ばよかった to say “I wish I had”
- Use なら to pick up the other person's topic and give advice, and 場合 for “in case ~”
Spring, I'll Find Her
Last time: a “spring comes” fortune. In January, Grandpa video-calls from a Taiwan hospital. (しゅじゅつ = surgery)
たら, と, ば, なら all mean “if.” Let the second half pick one. Next: January snow, and a guest praises Rin!
After the call
Rin uses です・ます with Neko-sensei and Mr. Kuma. Mr. Kuma speaks little and uses plain style. Tap each line to hear the Japanese.
Review Vocab Cards
- ひざ (hiza): knee (new)
- 手術 (shujutsu): surgery (new)
- 入院する (nyūin suru): be hospitalized (new)
- 病院 (byōin): hospital (new)
- 終わる (owaru): end, finish (new)
- あんしん (anshin): relieved, at ease (new)
- まよう (mayou): get lost, hesitate (new)
- ヌガー (nugā): nougat (new)
- ボタン (botan): button (new)
- おす (osu): press, push (new)
- コート (kōto): coat
- さがす (sagasu): look for, search
- 見つかる (mitsukaru): be found, turn up
- 場合 (baai): case, situation
- きっぷ (kippu): ticket
- おみやげ (omiyage): souvenir
- パイナップルケーキ (painappuru kēki): pineapple cake
- 早く (hayaku): early, quickly (adverb of 早い)
Grammar 1 / 4: たら
〜たら = “if ~” or “after ~, then ~.” Verb: た-form + ら. i-adjective: 〜かったら. Noun / na-adjective: 〜だったら. It can be followed by requests or intentions, so it is the most all-purpose “if.”
- How to make it: た-form + ら: Verb た-form + ら: したら・なったら・行ったら / i-adjective い → かったら: 寒かったら / noun or na-adjective + だったら: 雨だったら・ひまだったら
- Two meanings: if / after: Not sure it will happen: 高かったら、買いません (If it's expensive, I won't buy it). Sure to happen: 春に なったら (When spring comes) = “after ~, then ~.”
- 〜たら どうですか: giving advice: 病院へ 行ったら どうですか (How about going to the hospital?). With friends and family you can say 〜たら どう?. Be careful with teachers and bosses: it can sound like you are instructing them.
- あした 手術を したら、よく なるよ。 — After surgery tomorrow, I'll get better.
- 高かったら、買いません。 — If it's expensive, I won't buy it.
- 雨だったら、バスで 行きます。 — If it rains, I'll go by bus.
- 日本に 来たら、電話して ください。 — After you arrive in Japan, please call me.
Grammar 2 / 4: と
Plain present form + と = “whenever ~, then ~.” When the first part happens, the second part always follows (nature, machines, routes, habits). No requests or intentions after it.
- How to make it: plain present + と: 行く＋と、行かない＋と、安い＋と、雨だ＋と. Always use the present form before と, never the た-form.
- What follows is a certain result: Nature: 春に なると、あたたかく なります (When spring comes, it gets warm). Machines: ボタンを おすと、きっぷが 出ます (Press the button and a ticket comes out). Routes: この 道を 行くと、神社が あります (Go along this road and there is a shrine).
- No requests or intentions after it: Don't follow と with 〜て ください, 〜ましょう or 〜たい. To ask someone to do something or say what you will do, use たら: 日本に 来たら、電話して ください.
- 春に 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 出ます。 — If you press this button, a ticket comes out.
- 冬に なると、ひざが いたく なります。 — Whenever winter comes, my knee starts to hurt.
- この 道を 行くと、神社が あります。 — If you walk along this road, you'll see a shrine.
Grammar 3 / 4: ば
〜ば = “if ~ (then) ~.” Verb: う-row → え-row + ば. i-adjective: 〜ければ. Most common pairs: 〜ばいい (it's fine if you ~) and 〜ばよかった (I wish I had ~).
- How to make it: Group 1: う-row → え-row + ば: 行けば / Group 2: る → れば: 食べれば / Group 3: する → すれば, 来る → くれば / i-adjective い → ければ: 安ければ
- 〜ばいい: you just need to ~: For advice or asking how to do something: 町の 人に 聞けば いい (Just ask the local people). どう すれば いいですか (What should I do?) = どう したら いいですか.
- 〜ばよかった: regret: For things that are too late: もっと 早く 行けば よかった (I wish I had gone sooner). Put “the thing you should have done” in ば to say you regret not doing it: 食べる 前に 聞けば よかった (I wish I had asked before eating).
- 安ければ、買います。 — If it's cheap, I'll buy it.
- どう すれば いいですか。 — What should I do?
- かさを 買えば よかった。 — I wish I had bought an umbrella.
- 雨が 降れば、家で 本を 読みます。 — If it rains, I'll read at home.
Grammar 4 / 4: なら・場合
なら = “if that's the case (with what you said).” You pick up the other person's topic, then give advice or information. 場合(は) = “in the case of ~, in case ~,” often used in rules and explanations.
- なら: pick up a topic, then give advice: The other person mentions something, and you reply: ラーメンなら、くまやが いいですよ (If it's ramen, くまや is great). Nouns and na-adjectives take なら directly: 京都なら・ひまなら. Verbs and i-adjectives use the plain form: 行くなら・寒いなら.
- 行くなら vs 行ったら: 行くなら: you haven't left yet, and you do the next thing first (buy a coat before leaving). 行ったら: you do it after arriving. 「行ったら、コートを 買った ほうが いい」 is also correct Japanese, but it means “buy it once you get to Hokkaido.” Look at when the second thing happens.
- 場合(は): in the case of ~: Noun + の + 場合: 雨の 場合. Na-adjective + な + 場合: ひまな 場合 (only nouns take の). Verb plain form + 場合: 来られない 場合. Often seen in rules, explanations and notices. It is a little more formal than たら.
- ラーメンなら、くまやが いいですよ。 — If it's ramen, くまや is great.
- 北海道へ 行くなら、コートを 買った ほうが いいよ。 — If you're going to Hokkaido, you should buy a coat first.
- 雨の 場合は、バスで 行きます。 — In case of rain, we'll take the bus.
- 来られない 場合は、電話を ください。 — If you can't come, please call me.