ものなら ②
If you were to do, If you try to, If … happens, Should there be
Structure
Explanation
ものなら is formed by combining the noun もの, meaning ‘thing’ or ‘matter’, with なら, the hypothetical form of the auxiliary verb だ, meaning ‘if it is’. It is used to express a hypothetical situation where, if action (A) were to happen, a very negative or undesirable consequence (B) would certainly follow. In this pattern, the verb for (A) must be in the volitional form. Let's look at some examples.
- この試験で一度でも間違えようものなら、不合格になってしまう。If I were to make even one mistake on this exam, I would fail completely.
- あの怖い部長との会議に遅れようものなら、首にされるだろう。If I dared to be late for the meeting with that scary department head, I'd probably be fired.
- お客さんに失礼なことを言おうものなら、家族の評判が落ちる。Our family's reputation would be ruined, should I say something rude to a guest.
The use of the volitional form emphasizes the idea of deliberately trying or attempting to do something. This nuance implies that even the slightest attempt to perform the action would trigger the negative consequence, highlighting the gravity of the situation and the certainty of the bad outcome.
Fun Fact
While なら is commonly presented as ‘if’, it is technically a form of the copula だ (‘to be’). Thinking of its literal meaning can be helpful. A more direct translation is ‘were’, which functions identically in English for hypothetical scenarios. This can prevent confusion with other conditional grammar such as ば, と, and たら. For instance, in the sentence ‘Were I to forget, something bad would happen’, the structure mirrors the Japanese very closely. For this reason, it can be beneficial to associate なら with the English ‘were’ instead of the more general ‘if’.
Examples
あの先生の授業に一分でも遅れようものなら、教室に入れてもらえないだろう。
If you were to be even one minute late for that teacher's class, you probably wouldn't be allowed in the classroom.
眠っている犬を起こそうものなら、噛みつかれるに違いない。
If you were to wake that sleeping dog, you would definitely get bitten.
あの部長の前で少しでもミスをしようものなら、一時間も文句を言われることになる。
If you were to make even a small mistake in front of that manager, you'd end up getting an hour-long lecture.
この古い花瓶にうっかり触ろうものなら、粉々になってしまうだろう。
If you were to accidentally touch this old vase, it would probably shatter into pieces.
プライドが高い彼の作品を批判でもしようものなら、二度と口をきいてくれないだろう。
If you were to so much as criticize the work of that prideful guy, he'd probably never speak to you again.
この山道で一歩でも道を間違えようものなら、崖から落ちる危険がある。
If you were to misstep even once on this mountain path, there's a danger of falling off a cliff.