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Lesson 35 — ば形けい· なら ·疑問詞ぎもんし+ ば

BOOK II · 初級 II みんなの日本語 · Mini no Nihongo

L35 · ば conditional · なら

Name Date

REFば形けい· なら ·疑問詞ぎもんし+ ば

Conditional ば-form (条件形じょうけんけい)

TypeRuleExample
verb G1u-row → e-row + ば
verb G2る → れば
verb G3—
verb negative
い-adj
い-adj negative
な-adj+ なら
noun+ なら

Irregular: いい → よければ. Also 〜なければならない (L17) is the same ば-form.

1. ば for conditions

2. 疑問詞ぎもんし+ ば いいですか

Equivalent to L26's 〜たらいいですか.

3. 〜なら — topic conditional

Picks up something the other person just said and comments on that topic.

B：温泉おんせんなら、白馬はくばがいいですよ。

なら does not require the first clause to be true or to happen first — it just frames the topic. That's what distinguishes it from たら/ば/と.

4. The four conditionals compared

FormCore useCan main clause be a request?
automatic, inevitable result✕
general "if/when", most flexible○
emphasizes the condition itself△ (restricted with verbs)
"as for that topic…"○

Set expressions会話かいわ

Key vocabulary

咲さきます変かわります困こまります点つきます直なおします掛かけます優やさしい詳くわしいおかしい旅行社りょこうしゃ緑みどり星ほし月つき地球ちきゅう温泉おんせん景色けしきいつでもどこでもだれでも何なんでも

詳説 In depth — grammar notes

Making the ば-form (条件形じょうけんけい)

TypeRuleExample
Group Ifinal kana → え-row + ば
Group IIdrop る, add れば
Group III
Verb negative
い-adjective
い-adj negative
な-adjective+ なら
noun+ なら

The ば-form is one vowel away from the potential: / . Both come from the え-row, and mixing them up is the classic slip.

1. ば for conditions

"If A, then B" — a general rule or a hypothetical, with the focus on the condition itself.

JapaneseEnglish
If it's cheap, I'll buy it.
If you press the button, the window opens.
I'll go if it doesn't rain.
If I have time, I'll help.

One real restriction: if the two clauses have the same subject and the ば-clause is an action verb, the main clause cannot be a request, an order or an invitation. ✕ → use たら: ○. With a state — an adjective, ある, or a potential — ば is fine: ○.

2. 疑問詞ぎもんし + ば いいですか — asking what to do

A very useful pattern for asking for instructions.

JapaneseEnglish
What should I do?
Where should I go?
What should I bring?
Who should I ask?
By when should I hand it in?

Compare (L26) — same job, slightly more conversational. Both are polite; ば sounds a touch more formal.

3. 〜なら — given that, in that case

なら picks up something the other person has just raised and builds on it. It follows a plain form or a bare noun.

JapaneseEnglish
"I want to go to Kyoto." "Kyoto? Spring is best."
If you're going to buy a PC, that shop is cheap.
If you're not going, please call.

Only なら lets the main clause precede in time: = I'll buy a camera *before* going. With たら the order flips: = I'll buy it *after* arriving.

4. The four conditionals side by side

FormCore meaningMain-clause limitsExample
automatic result, every timeno requests, no volition
hypothetical or general ruleno requests after an action verb
one specific case, "when/after"anything goes — the safe default
given the topic you raisedanything; can precede in time

When you cannot decide, たら is almost always acceptable. と is only for cause-and-effect that never varies (machines, nature, directions).

Error table

✕○Why
group II adds れば
来くる keeps its く in the ば-form
drop the い before ければ
request after an action-verb ば
nouns take なら, not ば

Try translating

EnglishJapanese
If it's cheap, I'll buy it.
If you press this button, the door opens.
If it doesn't rain, let's go.
What should I do?
Which train should I take?
If you're going to Kyoto, spring is nice.

練習 Practice — 10 questions

  1. Q1 G1 · ば

    ば-form of行いきます

    行 い
    く
    1. A
    2. B
    3. C
    4. D
    A godan: u→e + ば:行いけば
  2. Q2 G2 · ば

    ば-form of 食たべます

    食 た
    べ
    る
    1. A
    2. B
    3. C
    4. D
    B ichidan: る→れば
  3. Q3 G3 · ば

    ば-form of します /来きます

    す
    る
    ・
    来 く
    る
    1. A
    2. B
    3. C
    4. D
    A すれば /来くれば(くれば)
  4. Q4 negative ば

    Negative ば: 'if I don't go'

    な
    い
    →
    ば
    1. A
    2. B
    3. C
    4. D
    B ない → なければ
  5. Q5 い-adj · ば

    ば-form of 安やすい

    安 やす
    い
    1. A
    2. B
    3. C
    4. D
    B い → ければ
  6. Q6 い-adj · irregular

    ば-form of いい (irregular)

    い
    い
    1. A
    2. B
    3. C
    4. D
    B いい → よければ
  7. Q7 な-adj/noun

    な-adj/noun conditional in L35: '晴はれ' →

    な
    ら
    1. A
    2. B
    3. C
    4. D
    B noun/な-adj take なら
  8. Q8 usage

    'When spring comes, cherry blossoms bloom.'

    ば
    1. A
    2. B
    3. C
    4. D
    A なる→なれば
  9. Q9 topic なら

    A: 'I want to visit a hot spring...' B: 'If it's hot springs, Hakuba is great.'

    な
    ら
    1. A
    2. B
    3. C
    4. D
    B Picking up the other person's topic = なら
  10. Q10 question word + ば

    'What should I do?' (ば version)

    ど
    う
    1. A
    2. B
    3. C
    4. D
    B どう + すれば + いいですか (したら version also exists — L26)

解答 Answer key

  1. Q1 A godan: u→e + ば:行いけば
  2. Q2 B ichidan: る→れば
  3. Q3 A すれば /来くれば(くれば)
  4. Q4 B ない → なければ
  5. Q5 B い → ければ
  6. Q6 B いい → よければ
  7. Q7 B noun/な-adj take なら
  8. Q8 A なる→なれば
  9. Q9 B Picking up the other person's topic = なら
  10. Q10 B どう + すれば + いいですか (したら version also exists — L26)