にしたら
From the point of view of
Structure
(1) にすれば
Explanation
By pairing the particle に with the conditional forms of the verb する (すれば or したら), a grammar pattern is created for expressing a supposition from someone else's perspective. It is commonly translated as 'for (A)', 'from (A)'s standpoint', or 'if you were (A)'. A more literal interpretation would be 'if one were to become (A)', emphasizing that the speaker is imagining the situation from (A)'s point of view.
Most of the time, the statement following にしたら or にすれば will reflect the speaker's guess or judgment about what (A) must be thinking or feeling.
にしたら and にすれば are used after nouns that refer to people, groups, or organizations, allowing the speaker to speculate on their perspective.
- 忙しい田中さんにしたら、この会議は時間の無駄だろう。For someone as busy as Tanaka-san, this meeting is probably a waste of time.
- 犬が苦手な人にしたら、大きな犬はただ怖いだけかもしれない。To a person who dislikes dogs, a big dog might just be frightening.
- どんなに頑張っても、部長にすればまだ足りないらしい。From the department manager's perspective, no matter how hard I try, it's apparently still not enough.
- 都会の人にすれば当たり前のことでも、田舎の私にはとても新鮮に見える。There are many things that might be completely normal for a city person, but to me from the countryside, they seem brand new and exciting.
While their meanings are virtually the same, にすれば is generally favored in more formal contexts.
Caution
Because にしたら and にすれば are hypothetical structures used to speculate about another person's viewpoint, they cannot be used to express your own. You cannot hypothetically put yourself in your own shoes, since you are already there and know what you think.
- 私にしたら、この本はつまらない。If you consider me, this book is boring. (Unnatural Japanese)
- 妹にしたら、この本はつまらなかったに違いない。As far as my little sister is concerned, this book must have been boring. (Natural Japanese)
Examples
子供にしたら、あのホラー映画は怖すぎるだろう。
From a child's point of view, that horror movie is probably way too scary.
先生にしたら、無口な生徒は心配になるものだ。
From a teacher's perspective, a quiet student is a cause for concern.
外国人にしたら、日本語の敬語は複雑で難しいに違いない。
From a foreigner's point of view, Japanese honorifics must be complex and difficult.
猫にしたら、どんなおもちゃよりもただの段ボール箱が一番楽しいのかもしれない。
From a cat's perspective, a simple cardboard box might be more fun than any toy.
彼にしたら、私の何気ない一言がとても傷ついたらしい。
From his point of view, it seems my casual remark was very hurtful.
店長にしたら、万引きは許せない犯罪だ。
For a store manager, shoplifting is an unforgivable crime.
初心者にしたら、この専門用語だらけの説明は全く理解できないだろう。
From a beginner's point of view, an explanation full of technical jargon is probably completely incomprehensible.
都会の人にしたら、田舎の生活は退屈に感じるのかもしれない。
From the perspective of a city person, country life might feel boring.
医者にしたら、どんな些細な症状でも見逃すことはできない。
From a doctor's perspective, they can't afford to overlook even the most trivial of symptoms.
プロの料理人にしたら、私が作ったケーキは子どものお遊びのようなものだろう。
From the point of view of a professional chef, the cake I made is probably like child's play.
弟にしたら、何でもできる兄がいるのは、かなりのプレッシャーに違いない。
For my younger brother, having an older brother who can do anything must be a lot of pressure.
アパートの大家さんにしたら、家賃を払わない住人は一番困る存在だ。
From a landlord's point of view, a tenant who doesn't pay rent is the biggest kind of problem.