ば
If… then, (Conditional)
Structure
［な］Adjective + なら（ば）
Noun + なら（ば）
Verbs:
［る1］Verb ￫ 見
［る5］Verb ￫ 座
［う］Verb ￫ 歌
［く］Verb ￫ 歩
［す］Verb ￫ 話
［つ］Verb ￫ 打
［ぬ］Verb ￫ 死
［ぶ］Verb ￫ 飛
［む］Verb ￫ 休
［ぐ］Verb ￫ 泳
Exceptions:
する ￫ すれば
くる ￫ くれば
Negative Forms:
Verb［
［い］Adjective［
［な］Adjective + で + なければ
Noun + で + なければ
Explanation
Japanese offers multiple ways to convey 'if' clauses. One common method is with the conditional particle ば. ば is used to talk about hypothetical conditions or possibilities. To attach it to a verb, the final vowel sound of the verb's dictionary form must be changed from 'u' to 'e'. Let's look at how this works with some examples.
- この薬を飲めば元気になるけど、とても苦い。If I take this medicine I'll feel better, but it's very bitter.
- 天気が晴れば、犬と散歩に行くつもりです。If the weather clears up, I plan on going for a walk with my dog.
- あの橋を渡れば駅に着きます。If you cross that bridge, you'll get to the station.
- 先生に聞けば、すぐに分かりますよ。If you ask the teacher, you'll understand right away.
- 彼女が手伝えば仕事が早く終わると思う。If she helps, I think the work will be finished quickly.
As demonstrated above, the final kana of the verb, which ends in a 'u' sound, shifts to its corresponding 'e' sound (e.g., む to め, ぶ to べ, つ to て) before ば is added. Be careful not to confuse this with the conjugation for potential or passive forms, which use れる and られる. For the irregular verbs, する becomes すれ and くる becomes くれ before attaching ば.
When forming the conditional with い-Adjectives, the final い is replaced by けれ, a standard conjugation ending for this adjective type. Following this, ば is attached.
- 眠ければ、早く寝た方がいい。If you're sleepy, you should go to bed early.
- 値段が高ければ、多分買わないだろう。If the price is high, I probably won't buy it.
With な-Adjectives and nouns, the conditional form is made by adding ならば. This is a variation of なら, a common conditional form for these word types.
- ここが静かならば 、勉強に集中できるでしょう。If it's quiet here, you can probably concentrate on your studies.
- 学生ならば、学生証を見せてください。If you are a student, please show your student ID.
To create a negative conditional statement, the standard negative ending ない conjugates just like an い-Adjective. The final い is replaced with けれ, followed by ば to create なければ.
- パーティーに行きたくなければ、家にいてもいいよ。If you don't want to go to the party, you can stay home.
- 寒くなければ、Tシャツが着れる。If it isn't cold, I can wear a T-shirt.
- 日本人でなければ、この冗談の面白さが分からない。If you aren't Japanese, you might not understand the humor in this joke.
Fun Fact
The なら part of ならば frequently stands on its own to express 'if'. It originates from the classical auxiliary verb なり, meaning 'to be'. The hypothesis form of なり is ならば. In contemporary Japanese, なり is almost never used, while its descendants, なら and ならば, are very common.
Caution
To avoid confusing the conditional ば conjugation with the passive form, it's helpful to focus on the vowel change. For the passive form, a verb's final 'u' vowel sound shifts to an 'a' sound before adding れる. In contrast, for the conditional ば, that same vowel shifts to an 'e' sound.
- 練習をすれば上手になるよ。If you practice, you will get better at it.
- 夜中に友達に電話をかけられると困ります。It's troubling to get a phone call from a friend in the middle of the night.
Examples
この薬を飲まなければ、治らない。
If (you) do not take this medicine, then (you) will not get better.
お金があれば、新しいパソコンを買うつもり。
If I have money, then I intend to buy a new computer.
このアプリを使えば、簡単に外国語を学べる。
If you use this app, then you can easily learn a foreign language.
説明が分からなければ、先生に聞かなくてはいけない。
If (you) do not understand the explanation, then (you) have to ask the teacher.
値段が安ければ、これを買います。
If the price is cheap, then I will buy this.
あの角を曲がれば、駅が見えるだろう。
If (you) turn at that corner, then (you) will probably see the station.
このボタンを押せば電気がつくから、試してみて。
The light will turn on if you press this button, so please give it a try.
部屋が静かでなければ、勉強に集中できないでしょう。
If the room is not quiet, then (you) probably cannot concentrate on your studies.
ちゃんと寝れば、次の日は元気になる。
If you sleep properly, then you will feel energetic the next day.
もっと練習すれば、試合に勝てると思うよ。
If you practice more, then I think you can win the match.
窓を開ければ、涼しい風が入ります。
If you open the window, then a cool breeze will come in.
ちゃんと勉強して、いい大学に入れば、将来の選択肢が広がるだろう。
If you study properly and if you get into a good university, then your future options will probably expand.