いつも笑っていれば幸せになるよ！」
= Itsumo waratte ireba shiawase ni naru yo!
= If you always smile, you will be happy!
Hi everyone!
Today’s guest teacher is my good friend, Papi.
He is the sweetest dog I have ever met.
I’ve made a lesson on these conditional forms in past.
* なら ( = nara)
* と ( = to)
* たら ( = tara)
BUT many of you asked me to make a lesson on how to use the other conditional form: ば ( = ba).
I’ve been working on this lesson for over a year! To be honest, I was kind of procrastinating because I knew it would be a long one!
Now Papi-sensei will give me a “paw” to help finish this lesson. Take it away, Papi-sensei!
*****
みなさん、はじめまして！パピです。
= Minasan, hajimemashite! Papi desu.
= Nice to meet you, everyone! I’m Papi.
I am the happiest dog because I know the tricks of life. Just smile!
Yes, this is going to be another long lesson so get ready!
How to form:
★ verb:
dictionary form
* 行く = いく= iku = to go
1) delete the last “u” and change it with “e”.
iku → ik + e
→行け =いけ= ike
2) add ば ( = ba)
→行けば = いけば = ikeba
**
Got it?
* 話す= はなす = hanasu = to talk
→e sound: 話せ = はなせ = hanase
→+ ば ( = ba) : 話せば = はなせば = hanaseba
* 来る = くる = kuru = to come
→e sound: 来れ = くれ = kure
→+ ば ( = ba) : 来れば = くれば = kureba
* する = suru = to do
→e sound: すれ = sure
→+ ば ( = ba) : すれば ( = sureba)
Negative form:
* 行かない = ikanai = not to go
1) delete い ( = i) and add なければ ( = nakereba)
→行かなければ = いかなければ = ikanakereba
★ adjective
* i-adjective
* 忙しい = いそがしい = isogashii = busy
1) Delete the last い ( = i )
→忙し = いそがし= isogashi
2) add ければ ( = kereba)
→ 忙しければ = いそがしければ = isogashi kereba
* 難しい = むずかしい = muzukashii = difficult
→ delete い ( = i): 難し = むずかし= muzukashi
→ add ければ ( = kereba) : 難しければ = むずかしければ = muzukashikereba
Negative form:
1) delete the last い ( = i) and add くなければ (= kunakereba)
→ 忙しくなければ = いそがしくなければ = isogashiku nakereba
*na-adjective
* 便利 = べんり = benri = convenient, useful
→ add ならば (= naraba)
→便利ならば = べんりならば= benri naraba
or
→ add であれば = de areba
→便利であれば = べんりであれば= benri de areba
Negative form:
add + でなければ ( = denakereba) / + じゃなければ ( = janakereba) (more casual)
→ 便利でなければ = べんりでなければ= benri de nakereba
(more casual)
* 便利じゃなければ = べんりじゃなければ = benri janakereba
* noun
noun + add であれば ( = de areba)/ ならば ( = naraba)
* 先生 = せんせい = sensei = teacher
→ add であれば ( = de areba)
→ 先生であれば = せんせいであれば = sensei de areba
or
→ add ならば ( = naraba)
→先生ならば = せんせいならば = sensei naraba
Negative form:
noun + でなければ ( = denakereba) / + じゃなければ ( = janakereba) (more casual)
→ 先生でなければ
= せんせいでなければ
= sensei de nakereba
(more casual)
→ 先生じゃなければ
= せんせいじゃなければ
= sensei janakereba
Note: ならば (= naraba) →なら (= nara)
You often drop ば ( = ba) in conversation.
ならば (= naraba) →なら (= nara)
なら (= nara) is more conversational.
Check my なら (= nara) lesson.
***
:s: How to use:
1) If a certain condition X is fulfilled (If X happens), Y will happen (predictable outcome) / If X happens, s.o. will do Y.
X ば Y = X ba Y
Ex. 今、家を出れば (X) 間に合う (Y) 。
= Ima, ie wo dereba (X) maniau (Y) .
= If I leave my house now (X) , I can make it (Y).
In other word,
*If certain condition X is not fulfilled (If X doesn’t happen), Y will not happen (predictable outcome)
Ex. 今、家を出なければ (X) 間に合わない (Y)。
= Ime, ie wo denakereba (X) maniawanai (Y).
= If I don’t leave my house (X), I won’t make it (Y).
*****
Note: Most of the following sentences can be replaced with たら (= tara).
Before I give you all the examples, let me explain some of the differences between たら (= tara) and ば ( = ba).
★The difference between たら ( = tara) and ば ( = ba):
(1) While たら (= tara) can be used for both negative and positive outcomes, you tend to use ば (= ba) for favorable outcomes for the speaker.
(2) You can use たら (= tara) when you talk about past events but you cannot use ば (= ba) unless you are talking about regrets that you have/haven’t done in the past or if you are talking about something that is not true.
I asked her out for a date (X), but she turned me down (Y).
Ex. 彼女をデートに誘ったら (X) 断られた (Y)。
= Kanojo wo deeto ni sasottara (X) kotowarareta (Y).
(The speaker actually asked her out).
You can’t say 誘えば = sasoeba
She would say:
Ex. 誘ってくれれば*行ったのに。
= Sasotte kurereba itta noni.
= If you had asked me out, I would have said yes.
(*誘ってくれたら = sasotte kuretara)
(He didn’t actually ask her out, so she didn’t go.)
(3) When you are talking about what you are going to do/will be able to do.
Ex.３時になったらおやつを食べよう。(verb volitional form)
= Sanji ni nattara oyatsu wo tabeyou.
= I am going to eat my snack at three.
You can’t say:
X ３時になれば ( = sanji ni nareba)
Turning three o’ clock won’t be the condition for one’s desire to eat a snack.
You can say:
* ３時になれば*おやつを食べてもいいです。(giving permission)
= Sanji ni nareba oyatsu wo tabete mo iidesu.
= You can eat a snack at three.
（*なったら= nattara)
* ３時になれば*おやつが食べられる。(potential form)
= Sanji ni nareba oyatsu ga taberareru.
= When it hits three o’clock, I can eat a snack.
（*なったら= nattara)
In both cases, three o’clock is the condition that has to be met for someone to be able to have a snack.
*****
So you give a condition (X) to have the outcome (Y).
Ex. 明日になれば*熱も下がりますよ。
= Ashita ni nareba netsu mo sagarimasu yo.
= Your fever will go down tomorrow.
( * 明日になったら= ashita ni natttara)
Ex. 毎日この運動をすれば*必ず痩せます。
= Mainichi kono undou wo sureba kanarazu yasemasu.
= If you do these exercises every day, I can guarantee that you will lose weight.
(* 運動をしたら= undou wo shitara)
Ex. 努力していれば*いつか報われる。
= Doryoku shite ireba itsuka mukuwareru.
= If you keep making efforts, you will be rewarded eventually.
(* 努力をしていたら = doryoku wo shiteitara)
Ex. 春になれば*もっと暖かくなる。
= Haru ni nareba mottto atatakaku naru.
= It will get warmer in spring.
( * 春になったら = haru ni nattara)
Ex. 大人になれば*わかるよ。
= Otonani nareba wakaru yo.
= You will know when you grow up.
( * 大人になったら = otonani nattara)
Ex. 優しい人じゃなければ*結婚しません。
= Yasashii hito ja nakereba kekkon shimasen.
= The person I marry must be a sweet person. (If not, I won’t marry)
(*優しい人じゃなかったら= Yasashii hito ja nakattara)
Ex. ２０歳になれば*お酒が飲める。
= Hatachi ni nareba osake ga nomeru.
= When I turn twenty, I can drink.
(*２０歳になったら = hatachi ni nattara)
Ex. 彼ならば私の気持ちがわかるはずだ。
= Kare naraba watashi no kimochi ga wakaru hazuda.
= He should know how I feel.
(Maybe other people wouldn’t understand, but he would.)
(*彼だったら= kare dattara / 彼なら = kare nara)
Ex. 今日は忙しいけれども明日ならば時間があります。
= Kyou wa isogashii keredomo ashita naraba jikan ga arimasu.
= I’m busy today, but I have time tomorrow.
(If it is tomorrow, I will have more time.)
（* 明日だったら = ashita dattara / 明日なら = ashita nara)
Ex. ここをまっすぐ行けば*大きな通りに出ます。
= Koko wo massugu ikeba ookina toori ni demasu.
= If you go straight, you will get to the big street.
(*行ったら = ittara/ **行くと = ikuto = You will find the big street. )
Note: The difference between ば ( = ba) and と ( = to)
* The particle と ( = to)
certain condition + と (= to) + predictable outcome, habitual actions, natural phenomenon, to give instructions on how to use a machine
If you do ~ / something happens, →automatically, naturally/ certainly happens. /The speaker discovers something
Ex. 1) この薬を飲むと熱が下がりますよ。
= Kono kusuri wo nomu to netsu ga sagarimasu yo.
= When you take this medicine, your fever will drop. (automatically)
***
The speaker thinks if you do ~ + something will happen.
Ex. 2) この薬を飲めば／飲んだら熱が下がりますよ。
= Kono kusuri wo nomeba/nondara netsu ga sagarimasu yo.
= If you take this medicine, your fever will go down. (more hypothetical)
***
The speaker finds out something after doing something.
Ex. ドアを開けると父が立っていた。
= Doa wo akeru to chichi ga tatte ita.
= When I opened the door, I found my dad standing there.
You can’t replace this と ( = to) with ば ( = ba)
X ドアを開ければ父が立っていた。
= Doa wo akereba chichi ga tatte ita.
2) Asking for advice/ suggestions.
Interrogative いつ／どこ／なに／だれ／どう, etc. ( = Itsu/ Doko / Nani / Dare/ Dou) + Vば ( = ba) ~ ですか？( = desu ka)?
= When / Where / What / Who / How (Y) ) + should I + to do ~ (X) ?
Ex. 切符を買うにはどこに行けば*いいですか？
= Kippu wo kau ni wa dokoni ikeba ii desu ka?
= Where should I go to get a ticket?
(* 行ったら = ittara )
Ex. この件について誰に聞けばわかりますか？
= Kono ken ni tsuite dare ni kikeba wakarimasu ka?
= Who should know about this matter? / Who should I ask about this matter?
( * 聞いたら= kiitara)
Ex. 日本語がうまくなるためにはどうすれば*いいですか？
= Nihongo ga umaku naru tame niwa dousureba ii desuka?
= What should I do in order to improve my Japanese?
( * どうしたら = doushitara)
Ex. 私はなにをすれば*いいですか？
= Watashi wa nani wo sureba ii desu ka?
= What should I do?
( * したら = shitara)
Ex. いつまでにレポートを提出すれば* いいですか？
= Itsumade ni repooto wo teishutsu sureba ii desu ka?
= By when should I submit my report?
( * したら = shitara)
Ex. いつ行けばパピに会えるの？
= Itsu ikeba Papi ni aeru no?
= When should I go to see Papi?
( * 行ったら = ittara)
3) giving someone a suggestion/ an advice. (Why don’t you do ~ ?/ I think you should do ~.)
Ex. もっとがんばれば*いいんじゃない？
= Motto ganbare ba iin jjanai?
= I think you should try a little harder.
( *がんばったら= ganbattara)
Ex. もう遅いから明日やれば*？
= Mou osoi kara ashita yareba?
= It’s late so why don’t you do that tomorrow?
( *やったら ＝yattara)
Ex. 最後まで読めば*？
= Saigo made yomeba?
= Why don’t you read to the end?
( *読んだら = yondara)
4) Expressing one’s desire ( Vたい ( = tai) = to want to V) wish
If the condition X is fulfilled, the speaker wants to do Y.
Ex. 安ければ買います。
= Yasukereba kaimasu.
= If it is cheap, I will buy it.
( *安かったら買います。
= Yasukattara kaimasu.)
or
Ex. 高くなければ買います。
= Takaku nakereba kaimasu.
= If it is not expensive, I will buy it.
Ex. 時間があれば*会いたいんだけど。
= Jikan ga areba aitain dakedo.
= I would like to see you if you have some time.
( * あったら = attara)
Ex. いい人がいれば結婚したい。
= Ii hito ga ireba kekon shitai.
= If there is someone nice, I would like to get married.
Note: You use たら ( = tara) when you think some action has been completed, or you want to do something.
Ex. 日本に行ったら美味しいラーメンが食べたい。
= Nihon ni ittara oishii raamen ga tabetai
= When/If I go to Japan, I’d like to eat delicious ramen.
In this sentence, the action is 行く( = iku) to go but actually, it means “once I get to Japan/ When I am in Japan”.
You can’t say:
X 日本に行けば ( = nihon ni ikeba)
Getting to Japan won’t be the condition for your desire to eat ramen noodles.
4) to express one’s expectation on others (counterfactual)
(1) Vば~ のに = ba ~ noni = It would be nice if you did something / I wish you could ~
Ex. マギーも行けばいいのに。
= Maggie mo ikeba ii noni.
= You should go, too, Maggie.
(*行ったら = ittara)
Ex. もっと食べればいいのに。
= Motto tabereba ii noni.
= You should have eaten more. / You should eat more.
(*食べたら = tabetara)
(The speaker knows the listener is not going to eat anymore.)
Note: The difference between ば ( = ba) and たら ( = tara):
You use たら (= tara) + のに (= noni) when you talk about your own desire.
Ex. JLPTの１級に受かったらいいのに。
= JLPT no ikyuu ni ukattara iinoni.
= I wish I could pass JLPT Level 1.
It will sound a little unnatural if you use ば ( = ba ) with your wish with のに ( =noni) here because it sounds like it is someone else’s problem.
X 受かればいいのに (= ukareba iinoni)
(2) V + ば + V past tense + のに ( = ba ~ noni): It would have been nice if you had done something / You should have done ~
When you tell someone what they should have done:
Ex. 嫌だったらそう言えば*よかったのに。
= Iya dattara sou ieba yokatta noni.
= If you didn’t want to do it (didn’t like it) you should have said so.
(* 言ったら = ittara)
Ex. 傘を持っていけば*よかったのに。
= Kasa wo motte ikeba yokatta noni.
= You should have taken an umbrella with you.
(* 持っていったら= motte ittara)
Ex. もっと早く言ってくれれば*スーツケースを貸してあげたのに。
= Motto hayaku itte kurereba suutsukeesu wo kashite agetanoni.
= If you had told me earlier, I could have lent you my suitcase.
( * 言ってくれたら = itte kuretara)
Ex. 薬を飲んでいれば*熱が下がったのに。
= Kusurui wo nonde ireba netsu ga sagatta noni.
= If you had taken a medicine, the fever would have dropped.
(* 飲んでいたら = nonde itara)
⭐️Related lessons:
For more usage of のに ( = noni)
5) to express one’s regret feelings.
Ex. よせばいいのに無理してジョギングして足を痛めた。
= Yoseba ii noni muri shite jogingu shite ashi wo itameta.
= I forced myself to jog and I ended up hurting my leg. I really shouldn’t have done it.
Ex. 私も買えば* よかった。
= Watashi mo kaeba yokatta.
= I should have bought it.
(* 買ったら= kattara)
Ex. 若い頃にもっと勉強しておけばよかった。
= Wakai koro ni motto benkyou shite okeba yokatta.
= I wish I had studied more when I was young.
For more usage of よかった ( = yokatta)
6) command
~ ば (X) + ~ しなさい/してください/して/ しろ ( *しろ ( = shiro) is strong command), etc = ~ ba (X) + shinasai / shitekudasai / shite/ shiro
If the verb in the following sentence (Y) is not action (思う= omou,etc.) and a state verb such as ある (= aru) / いる (= iru) / なる (= naru) etc., you can use ば (= ba)
Ex. 時間があれば *来てください。
= Jikan ga areba kite kudasai.
= Please come over if you have time.
(* あったら= attara)
Ex. それが自分のためになると思えば*やりなさい。
= Sore ga jibun no tame ni naru to omoeba yarinasai.
= If you think it would be good for you, just do it.
(* 思ったら = omottara)
Ex. わからないことがあれば*私に聞きなさい。
= Wakaranai koto ga areba watashi ni kikinasai.
= If there are things that you don’t understand, just ask me.
(*あったら = attara)
Again if the verb in the sentence (X) is not the state and implies completion of some action, you can’t use ば ( = ba).
Ex. 空港に着いたら電話しなさい。
= Kuukou ni tsuitara denwa shinasai.
= Call me when you get to the airport.
X 空港に着けば ( = kuukou ni tsukeba)
Ex. お父さん、私が満点取ったらゲームを買ってね。
= Otousan, watashi ga manten tottara geimu wo katte ne.
= Dad, if I get a perfect score, buy me a game, OK?
X You can’t say 取れば (= toreba)
Ex. 近くに来たら連絡してね。
= Chikaku ni kitara renraku shitene.
= Let me know when you are in the neighborhood.
X You can’t say 来れば ( = kureba )
7) V negative form + ば ( = ba) + いけない ( = ikenai)/ ならない ( = naranai) = have to do / must to do ~
Ex. もう行かなければいけない。
= Mou ikanakereba ikenai.
= I have to go now.
Ex. もっと勉強しなければいけません。
= Motto benkyou shinakereba ikemasen.
= You (or I) have to study more.
Note: You can’t replace with たら ( = tara) in this usage.
X 行ったらいけない ( = ittara ikenai ) means “shouldn’t go”)
X 勉強したらいけない ( = benkyou shitara ikenai) means “shouldn’t study”
In more conversational speech you can say ないと (= naito) instead of なければ (= nakereba)
行かないといけない。= Ikanai to ikenai.
勉強しないといけない。= Benkyou shinai to ikenai.
8) ～ば～ほど = ~ ba ~ hodo = the more you do ~, the more ~
Ex. この本は読めば読むほど面白くなる。
= Kono hon wa yomeba yomu hodo omoshiroku naru.
= The more I read this book, the more interesting it gets.
Ex. 安ければ安いほどいい。
= Yasukereba yasui hodo ii.
= The cheaper the better.
Some of you might say:
Ex. このレッスンは読めば読むほどわからなくなる。
= Kono ressun wa yomeba yomu hodo wakaranaku naru.
= The more I read this lesson, the more I get confused.
But I would say:
Ex. 勉強すればするほど、わかるようになりますよ。
= Benkyou sureba suru hodo, wakaru you ni narimasu yo.
= The more you study, the more you will come to understand.
Check this lesson for more example sentences.
How to use ほど ( = hodo)
9) Idiomatic expression:
Ex. 住めば都
= sumeba miyako
= Home is where you can make it.
Ex. 三人寄れば文殊の知恵
= Sannin yoreba monju no chie
= (literal meaning) If three people get together, they can come up with a good idea.
= Two heads are better than one
Ex. 終わりよければすべて良し
= Owari yokereba subete yoshi~
= All’s Well That Ends Well.
Ex. ああ言えばこう言う
= Aa ieba kou iu.
= always talk back / If I say this, you say that.
あ～終わった～！最後まで読んでくれてありがとう！
= Ahh Owattaa! Saigo made yonde kurete arigatou!
= It’s finished. Thank you for reading to the end.
*******
マギー先生より = Maggie sensei yori = From Maggie Sensei
パピ先生、ありがとう！
= Papi Sensei, arigatou!
= Thank you Papi-sensei!
笑っていればパピ先生みたいに幸せになれるね。
= Waratte ireba Papi Sensei mitai ni shiawase ni nareru ne.
= Right. If we keep smiling, we will be happy like Papi-sensei.
****
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76 Comments
Hi there,
I searched about the word “motaneba / 持たねば”, but didn’t find what I was looking for. My question: is motaneba the construction of (motanakereba / 持たなければ)?
And if this is the case, does it mean: (If you don’t have)?
Thanks.
Hi Katsu
Vねば is a literal expression of Vなければ
Vなければいけない = have to/must do something
Vねば (ならない/いけない）
You sometimes drop ならない/いけない
So 持たねば = have to have ~
Sorry, I did a mistake. I meant: is motaneba the contraction (not construction) of motanakereba? any way,
By the letter V beside the words, you mean “verb”?
Also I thought (nakereba) is the form of negative and this is why I said (if you don’t have) because “eba” is used for conditional form, right?
So in general, can we say (motaneba) also means (unless)?
Yes, V means “verb”
It is not contraction but as I said in my previous message もたねば(ならない）(motaneba (naranai)) is an literal/old way to say もたなければならない/いけない(motanakereba/ikenai)
Ex.しなければいけない = shinakereba ikenai = have to do something →literal/old way せねばならない ( = seneba naranai)
Originally this ば (=ba) is conditional. If you don’t do something, it is not good.
So, you can interpret, unless you do something, it is not good. But it means “have to do something/must do something”
Ex.もっとがんばらなくてはいけない →もっとがんばらなくては (I have to try harder)
→(more literal) もっとがんばらねばならない→もっとがんばらねば
I got it, thank you so much for the detailed answer!!
Anytime! :)
こんにちは、
医者になれば一生懸命勉強しなければならない。この文は正しいですか、ない場合は理由もおしえてください
こんにちは Tarun
医者になれば一生懸命勉強しなければならない
はい、大丈夫です。
(Note for you ない場合は→正しくない場合は）
Hello Maggie,
is 貸 a state verb態を表す動詞 or an action verb動きを表す動詞?
1 – 車を貸してもらえれば、ドライブに行きたい。
2 – 車を貸してもらえるとドライブに行きたい。
1 is right and 2 is wrong, but why is 1 right? I think they should both be wrong because using an action verb, you cannot use ば or と and have volition of the speaker, and there is volition of the speaker here for both ば and と? (Unless 貸 is not an action verb is it a state verb?)
Hello Maggie Sensei,
あれ、この上着はちょっと大きすぎる。昨日買う前に
a 着てみたほうがいい
b 着てみたらいい
c 着てみてよかった
d 着てみればよかった
I chose ‘a’ but it was wrong. Why is ‘d’ right and the others wrong? I cannot find the difference between たら and ば and ほうがいい anywhere on your website. please make it.
Thx in advance.
Hi Mark
昨日 is a key word
着てみたほうがいい means “One should try it on/It will be bette to try it on”
So this person bought a jacket (since it says この上着） so it should express one’s regret.
~ みればよかった
Hi, Maggie sensei.
Why is eba forma used here?
どれくらいの雨が降れば
わたしはあしたを取り戻すだろう
This is from a song. Is there a lyrical meaning? Thanks
Hello Bere,
It is a conditional sentence so you use ば.
How much it should rain to get back tomorrow.
If it is hard to understand why it is a conditional sentence, let’s change the sentence a little.
たくさん雨がふれば明日を取り戻すだろう If it rains a lot, I will get back tomorrow.
And it is a very literal expression.
箸はペンを持つように持つと使いやすい。
Or
箸はペンを持つように持てば使いやすい。
Please tell me sensee which one is correct and why
Hi Laxmi,
You say them both.
The difference is:
と when you do something, something usually (automatically) happens
ば adds more hypothetical nuance “If you hold ~”
What does it mean when you end a sentence with a verb in ば conditional form?
An example situation I’ve heard it used in is someone handing someone else their umbrella and saying「使えば」.
And I’m like “tsukaeba… nani?” To me, that sentence just means “if you use it.” If you use it… what? Unless it’s supposed to be short for 『使えばいい』, in which case the sentence would be “It’s fine if you use it” or “You can use it.”
But this doesn’t even work for all instances. For example, there is a song lyric that goes
声色ヒソめ噂すれば
And I’m pretty sure that’s the both the beginning and end of the sentence because the next line is 扉をノックした 後ろ振り返らずにね。And the line before it is おうまが時だけ、笑いだす。
When I try to translate it I get “those (expletive) whispers, if you make a rumor,” which of course, makes no sense.
Is there some grammatical structure at work here that I don’t know about?
Hello あの女(Wow, that sounds very rude..but it’s your name so…)
As I explained in this lesson, there are many usages of ば
「使えば」 This ば is the usage I explained in this lesson
3) giving someone a suggestion/ an advice. (Why don’t you do ~ ?/ I think you should do ~.)
この傘を使えば？ （Or この傘をつかったら？）= Why don’t you use this umbrella?
噂をすれば is from an proverb
噂をすれば影=speak of the devil So when you talk about someone, that person shows up (conditional)
So I guess when the speaker was talking about someone, that person knocked the door so don’t turn around.
I see, I must’ve missed that part about 使えば… I will reread the lesson!
And thank you for explaining 噂をすれば: I never would’ve gotten it!!
You’re very welcome! ☺️
Hi Maggie,
I hope you are well. I’m still reading every day to try and improve!
I wanted to ask if you can use 3) to give yourself advice or suggest something to yourself, in a kind of “I should ~” way?
The following sentence seems to say “I’m a little bit scared, but if Trina says she’s going to meet then I should go too”:
なんだかちょっと怖いけれど、トリナが会うというなら自分も行かなければ。
Is that correct?
Many thanks as always,
Peter.
Hello Peter,
元気でしたか？
なんだかちょっと怖いけれど、トリナが会うというなら自分も行かなければ。
This ば is the usage 7) V negative form + ば ( = ba) + いけない ( = ikenai)/ ならない ( = naranai) = have to do / must to do ~
自分も行かなければ（いけない） = I have to go too. / I should go too.
You sometimes drop いけない
改めましてこんばんは。先にツイッターで質問しているAn Asian Polyglotです。先生と話した後、ちょっと忙しくなって、結局遅くなって、ごめんなさい。それでは、先の質問を複写します：
「ば」についての質問がありますが。「金持ちであればいいのに。」という文は不自然ですか。「私が鳥であればいいのに」は？先生のサイトによると、自分の意志を表す時は、「たら…のに」を使うことです。しかし、インターネットでは、こんな文もやや多いです。それに、普通は前半と後半の主語が違うと、意志や希望などを表すのも大丈夫でしょう。では、あの…自分の欲望を表す時、「ば…のに」は絶対におかしいのですか。特に以上の二つの文と言えば？
その上、自分の要求について話す時は、どんな文が自然ですか。教えてください。
こちらの方が、文字数気にしなくていいからいいですね。😉
日本語で聞いてくれているので日本語で答えますが、もし英語の方がよければ言ってくださいね。
（私が）金持ちであればいいのに
私が鳥であればいいのに
この二つの文章ですが、
金持ちだったらいいのに
私が鳥だったらいいのに
の方が自然でよく使います。
(1) 一つの理由は、
「〜である」という言い方自体が文語的です。
彼は金持ちだ・です（口語）
彼は金持ちである。（文語）
(2) Vばいいのに
は、
１）他の人に対する助言・願望
Ex. マギー先生に聞けばいいのに。（マギー先生に聞いたらいいのに）
Xさんがもっと金持ちであればいいのに。（他の人について話すときは使えないこともありませんが、一般的には” 金持ちなら・金持ちだったら” を使う方が多いと思います。）
2)自分の願望を話すときも使えますが、例えば自分の家や自分の置かれている状況について話すときだったら「〜ばいいのに」を使います。
Ex. もっとお金があればいいのに。（お金があったらいいのに） 自分の状況
Ex. うちがもっと金持ちであったらいいのに （金持ちだったらいいのに） 実際の主語は自分の家
Ex. お金がすぐに貯まればいいのに。（貯金の状態）
自分の意志を伴う動詞を使う場合
X （私が）行けばいいのに
とは言えませんが、可能形を使うと自分のことでも使えます。
例外もあると思いますが、また思いついたら書きますね。
要約すると、 「Vばいいのに」は願望などを表す構造で、
ー Vの主語が自分ではないと一番自然であり、
ー Vの主語が自分ならVが自分の状況を表す動詞（例えば可能形動詞；「である」は例外）であればまだ自然である、
という理解でいいですか。
それは今日の最後の質問だと思います。先生の説明は詳しくて、大変勉強になりました：私はほぼ全部わかったと思いますが、いい表現や言い回しをたくさん学びました。
はい、そうです。😊
本当はもっと詳しく例外やなども含めて説明できればいいのですが、このぐらいにしておきますね。
はい。先生は他の例外を思いついたらまた書けばいいと思いますが、この説明ではもう普通の文章の場合には十分だと思います。😁 ありがとうございました！
は〜い！
伝わってよかったです。😊
Hi Maggie,
As usual when I got stuck on something, one of your lessons gave me the answer :)
Just a quick question on it though:
リオンが一生懸命やってくれればくれるほど、申し訳ない気持ちで一杯になる。
For the verb1 + ば + verb2 + ほど pattern, is verb1 always the same as verb2?
Are there any examples where they might be different?
Many thanks as always!
Hello Peter,
Welcome back!
Yes, verb1 + ば + verb2 + ほど
You use the same verb. (If it is suru-verb, 勉強する、料理する etc, you can just repeat する and as your example sentence, if the verb has くれる／あげる or other auxiliary verbs, etc, you can just repeat the dictionary form of くれる／あげる,etc. in verb 2)
料理すればするほど
やってあげればあげるほど
やってもらえばもらうほど
Lovely! Thank you for the quick reply :)
Anytime! 😊💕
Hello Maggie sensei,
Can I replace the following sentences with なら？
１・ 安ければ買います。
安いなら、買います。
or
２・高くなければ買います。
高くないなら買います。
3/ 時間があれば*会いたいんだけど。
= 時間があるなら、会いたいんだけど。
４・いい人がいれば結婚したい。
いい人がいなら結婚したい。
Thanks my Lady.
Hi.
1, 2, 3 Good!
4 いい人がいなら結婚したい。 I think it’s a typo →いるなら
Hi Maggie-Sensei! I’ve been reading your posts for a long time (three years!) but this is the first time I’ve ever posted a comment ^^
Anyway, I have a question concerning this ば form.
So, when we have ない, it’s ば form is なければ. It’s pretty easy to understand, and I can say things like 「食べなければ、おなかがいたいよ！」to my younger sister meaning “If you don’t eat, your stomach will hurt.” Say my younger sister gets all fired up to eat now, and she turns to her friends she was playing with and says 「食べなければなりません」, expressing that she has to eat. I have heard that this なければなりません／なければいけません form can be shortened to just なきゃ or なくちゃ, so my sister could’ve just have easily said 「たべなきゃ」to her friends.
Now this is where my question comes in:
Is なきゃ／なくちゃ only used to express things that we have to do, or are they generally accepted as a short, casual form of なければ？
For example, in Yonezu Kenshi’s song “Lemon,” he sings 「あなたがいなきゃえいえんに暗いまま。」At first I was translating it as “You have to be here, it will continue to be dark forever” but then realized that it would make more sense if it was “If you are not here, it will continue to be dark forever.” Am I correct to assume that his lyrics would mean the same thing if he’d said 「あなたがいなければ、えいえんに暗いまま」 or 「あなたがいなくちゃ永遠に暗いまま」?
I apologize for this long-winded question and thank you for any answer you provide!
Hi Sora
Thank you for reading my lessons for three years!
“If you don’t eat, your stomach will hurt.”
Almost, you say 何か食べないとお腹が痛くなるよ(onakga ga igaku naruyo) 。The second part should be いたくなるよ instead of いたいよ。
And if you want to use the casual contraction
何か食べなきゃお腹痛くなるよ。
Yes, 〜なければ→なきゃ／なくちゃ
あなたがいなきゃ = If you are not here
I have a lesson on なくちゃ／なきゃ where I explain all about the usage. Please go check it. :)
Hello, today, I’ve listened a song and it says “気づけば I came too far”. What does this mean.
https://kamenrider.fandom.com/wiki/EXCITE
From this website, it says “Before I knew it, I came too far”
Hello Kiw
気づけば・気がつけが The literal translation is “when I realized”.
気づけば〜〜 I did something before I knew it.
So “I have come this far before I knew it.”
Hello Maggie sensei,
Me again :)
After reading your lesson about と also.
I have some questions and hope you will help me! Please !!!!
** Are these 3 sentences of me correct ?
あなたの涙が出ると悲しくなるよ
and
あなたの涙が出れば悲しくなる。
涙が出ればそばにいてふいてよ
涙が出るとふいてよ。
Thanks Maggie sensei!!!
Hello again 😊
あなたの涙が出ると悲しくなるよ
あなたの涙が出れば悲しくなる。
Let change 涙が出ると to 泣くと which sounds more natural.（Especially when you are talking about someone else.)
あなたが泣くと悲しくなるよ If you cry, I (naturally) feel sad.
あなたが泣けば悲しくなる If you cry, I will feel sad. (hypothetical)
涙が出ればそばにいてふいてよ/涙が出るとふいてよ。
Not natural
Hmm I guess you could say
涙が出たら or 私が泣いたらそばにいて拭いてよ。
どうも、ありがとうございました！どうも！
どういたしまして💕
Hello Maggie sensei,
Thank you for a great lesson, again!
May I ask 1 question
*** For the usage of ば in this sentence
嫌だったらそう言えば*よかったのに。
Is it OK if I use と?
嫌だったらそう言うと*よかったのに。
*** For expressing a hope in present or future, I remember that と is possible
嫌って言えるといいのに
And is if OK for ば also?
嫌って言えばいいのに
Thank you Maggie sensei in advance !
Hello Frozenheart! 元気？
Is it OK if I use と?
嫌だったらそう言うと*よかったのに。
Not natural.
You can say そう言ってくれたらよかったのに
嫌って言えるといいのに Thinking about the future
嫌って言えばいいのに Referring either some event which happened in the past or is happening right now.
Thank you Maggie sensei.
They are clear now. Love youuuuuuuu!!!!!!!
Greaaatt!! Love you too! 💕
Hello again,
Sensei, can I say：
（１）病気になれば帰ります。
（２）医者になれば人を救いに行きます。
Thanks sensei so much.
Hi again,
Sorry. I don’t have much time right now so I will make it short.
They both don’t sound natural.
病気になったら〜 is better for the same reason that I wrote (3) x 3時になればおやつを食べよう
帰ります express one’s will.
医者になったら〜 is better
医者になれば you have to express what kind of outcomes you will have
医者になれば多くの人が救える
Maggie sensei,
いろいろありがとうございました！
はい、分かりましたよ！
よかった〜！ 🐶
Hello Maggie sensei,
So, when we want to ask for an advice, we can use both どうしたら いいですか,
and どうすればいいですか ?
Since the grammar has 4 similar points nara/to/ba/tara, so I want to confirm
Do we have such saying?
(a) どうするといいですか？
(b) どうするならいいですか？
Thanks Maggie sensei for always helping us.
Hi,
(a) どうするといいですか？
(b) どうするならいいですか？
They are both unnatural.
Maggie sensei,
First of all thank you very much for your lessons, they are very helpful!
I have a doubt when it comes to (not) using the ば in the past, you say you can`t use it unless is a regret or is not true but I read:
ビールを３本飲めばよっぱらいました meaning something that always happens, as opposed to ビールを３本飲んだらよっぱらいました somenthing that only happened once.
is it the first one incorrect?
Thank you very much!
I guess I didn’t cover the usage.
True. There are cases that you use ば when you talk about one’s habit in past. Whenever ~ someone does/did something./ One used to do something.
あの頃は彼と会えば(or 会うと）いつも喧嘩をしていた。
We used to fight whenever we get together that time.
As for the sentence “ビールを３本飲めばよっぱらいました”, it may work with more context. (Just that sentence may sound a little unnatural.)
Ex.昔は/前は/若い頃は、ビールを３本飲めば酔っ払って騒いでいました。(but not anymore.)
The basic pattern:
〜ば〜していた/ 〜ば〜したものだった (the following verb describe the state. )
While completing some exercises in a textbook, I got these two sentences wrong.
1. ７時になれば帰ります！
2. このドアが開けば入りませんか？
I think I understand why you can you “ba” in these two sentences, but can you please explain why exactly these two sentences are wrong? I know you covered a lot of examples in your lesson, but I think i’m still not 100% sure I’m getting it when it comes to these two sentences.
Sorry, I forgot to say Hello Maggie, and thank you for the wonderful lessons!
Hi James,
1. ７時になれば(X) 帰ります (Y)→ ７時になったら帰ります。／７時に帰ります。
７時になれば sounds like the person is waiting until it turns 7:00 to come home or not sure if it turns seven.
In this case, you can use ば if the following sentence (Y) has a potential verb.
７時になれば(or なったら）帰れます。 I can go home when it turns 7:00.
2. このドアが開けば入りませんか？
That means, they are in front of a closed door and they are not sure if the door will open or not. If it opens, he/she wants to go inside with the listener.
If you are sure the door will open, you use 開いたら = When the door opens,
Hello!Maggie先生,
I would like to know this sentence is correct(or make sense)?
私がピクニックに出かければ、傘を持っています
ありがとうございます。
Hi Kaminari,
Do you want to say,
“When I go on a picnic, I will take an umbrella.” or “Whenever I go on a picnic, I take an umbrella with me.”
Then, you should say
ピクニックに行くときは傘を持っていきます。
出かければ is used for more
If I go on a picnic, + you expect something will happen. /Someone will do something.
ピクニックに出かければ彼が喜びます。
If I go on a picnic, he will be happy.
ありがとうございました
教科書に書かれないことが多いのね…
難しい…
どういたしまして。
ば・たら・と・なら,etc.はみんな苦労していますね。
がんばって！
Hey there Maggie,
I just came back from doing a homestay while going to a language school in Tokyo. I have a question about something my family used to say a lot using the ba conjugation. They would say it like a “what if” statement. For example, one day we were talking about getting haircuts, and the mom asked (sorry I don’t have a Japanese keyboard downloaded on my PC) “Nihon de kami wo kireba?” Which I thought meant something like “What if you got your hair cut in Japan?” It sounded like it was a joke, because the family would laugh after they said it. Do you know of a use of ba like this? Thanks in advance!
Hi JD
Hope you had a nice time in Japan.
日本で髪を切れば？
(Nihon de kami wo kireba?)
That “ば” is
3) giving someone a suggestion/ an advice. (Why don’t you do ~ ?/ I think you should do ~.)
So it means “Why don’t you get your haircut in Japan?/ You should get your haircut in Japan.”
Thank you very much for this really helpful lesson Maggie Sensei!
I have a question about a sentence I read recently, which is:
「貴方はあの人や私をどれだけ馬鹿にすれば気が済むんだっ！！」
I kind of get the meaning of the sentence from context but cant seem to figure out how to correctly translate it.
The construction looks like Interrogative + V(ば) + ですか but advice/suggestion translating to “should” doesnt really fit.
1) How would you translate the sentence?
2) Is there a reason to use や over と to mean “and” in this sentence?
Hi カルミス
1) 気がすむ means “to be satisfied” but in this case it is sarcastic.→ How much is enough for you to make you satisfied?
どれだけ~ だ！ shows the speaker feels angry.
It could be translated in many ways but for example
* Enough with making fun of him/her and me?
* Are you satisfied looking down on her/him and me this much?
2) AとB means “A and B”!
AやB means “A and B and etc.”
What usage of ば is being used in this sentence?
「こっちが気ー使ってればいい気になりやがって！」
It’s an idiomatic expression.
こっちが＋ 気を使っていれば when I concern about your feelings /下手にでれば when I behave modestly / 黙っていれば when I keep my mouth shut (condition) ＋ いい気になって (you take an advantage/ get full of yourself/ behave arrogantly)
Ah, much clearer now.
I appreciate these lessons. Although I have no problem in the vocabulary department, I’ve too long neglected the grammatical quirks and nuances of the language; a lot is clicking into place now, reading your lessons.
Great!!
(I forgot to mention なりやがって！ is a very rough male speech. 😉 )
本当にありがとう先生！:)
こんばんは先生！おつかれさまでした！i can feel the amount of effort and time you spend for this lesson to help us. I really appreciate it.
I have the following questions please:
1.”明日になれば*熱も下がりますよ.” In this sentnce what is “も” here?
2.”明日になれば*熱も下がりますよ.” And”明日になったら*熱も下がりますよ.” No difference at all?
3. When exactly we never use”-ば”? From the lesson, is it only when we express our wishes and past events we dont use-ば？what else? im very confused
4. -ば and のに、which express regret and wish more?which is better? What situations we never use-ば instead of のに？
Thank you so much in advance.
Hi Kuroineko
1. If you say 熱は下がりますよ, it implies other symptoms may remains but the fever will drop.
So by using も, it implies the main concern, the fever, will also be gone with other problems.
2. They mean the same.
3. You mean compare to たら、と、なら？
Hmm I think I covered some in the lesson. I will add it when I think of more.
4. which express regret and wish more?which is better? What situations we never use-ば instead of のに？
Sorry but I don’t quite get your question.
For example if you are talking to someone,
行けばいいのに You should go. (knowing that the person won’t be able to go)
行ったらよかったのに You should have gone.
They both express one’s wish (even if the speaker knows it won’t come true) and not regrets.
Check my のに lesson.
Thank you so much Maggie Sensei! You spend so much time on these lessons!
I was wondering how you would translate “the more you do~, the LESS~”?
Thank you!
Hi Rachel!
Good question!
“the more you do~, the LESS~” = Usually ~ すればするほど〜なくなる patten works.
the more I know, the less I understand
知れば知るほどわからなくなる。
The more I buy, the less money I have.
買えば買うほど、お金がなくなる。
Thank you so much 先生！
i understand now and i hope u can do my point 3 if u can think of more. I’d really appreciate it.
I will try to check のに soon after i can fully understand -ba
To be honest, Japanese language has so many (if) so many (must) so i feel so confused and when you want to talk to someone which one to use is difficult I think.
Right. It is complicated. As I wrote, たら is less restricted so it should cover a lot of the situations.
As for 3, yes, I will add more inf. when I think of more. :)