{"id":501,"date":"2017-10-16T19:48:44","date_gmt":"2017-10-16T23:48:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/guidetojapanese.org\/learn\/?p=501"},"modified":"2017-12-31T11:07:01","modified_gmt":"2017-12-31T16:07:01","slug":"conditional","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/guidetojapanese.org\/learn\/complete\/conditional","title":{"rendered":"Conditional"},"content":{"rendered":"

There are four ways to express conditional in Japanese, each with a slightly different meaning and used in different situations.<\/p>\n

General Conditional<\/h2>\n

The most generic conditional without any assumptions or embedded meanings is the \u300c\uff5e\u3070\u300d conditional. The conjugation rules for the \u300c\u3070\u300d conditional is below.<\/p>\n

\nConjugation rules for \u300c\u3070\u300d<\/span><\/p>\n
    \n
  • For verbs:<\/b> change the last \/u\/ vowel sound to the \/e\/ vowel sound and append \u300c\u3070\u300d
    \nExample<\/p>\n
      \n
    1. \u98df\u3079\u308b<\/strike><\/span>\u3000\u2192\u3000\u98df\u3079\u308c<\/em> \u2192 \u98df\u3079\u308c\uff0b\u3070<\/em> = \u98df\u3079\u308c\u3070<\/li>\n
    2. \u5f85\u3064<\/strike><\/span>\u3000\u2192\u3000\u5f85\u3066<\/em> \u2192 \u5f85\u3066\uff0b\u3070<\/em> = \u5f85\u3066\u3070<\/li>\n
    3. \u3059\u308b<\/strike><\/span>\u3000\u2192\u3000\u3059\u308c<\/em> \u2192 \u3059\u308c\uff0b\u3070<\/em> = \u3059\u308c\u3070<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    4. For i-adjectives and negatives ending in \u300c\u306a\u3044\u300d:<\/b> drop the last \u300c\u3044\u300d and append \u300c\u3051\u308c\u3070\u300d
      \nExample<\/p>\n
        \n
      1. \u304a\u3044\u3057\u3044<\/strike><\/em>\u3000\u2192\u3000\u304a\u3044\u3057\uff0b\u3051\u308c\u3070<\/em> = \u304a\u3044\u3057\u3051\u308c\u3070<\/li>\n
      2. \u98df\u3079\u306a\u3044<\/strike><\/em>\u3000\u2192\u3000\u98df\u3079\u306a\uff0b\u3051\u308c\u3070<\/em> = \u98df\u3079\u306a\u3051\u308c\u3070<\/li>\n
      3. \u306a\u3044<\/strike><\/em>\u3000\u2192\u3000\u306a\uff0b\u3051\u308c\u3070<\/em> = \u306a\u3051\u308c\u3070<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
      4. For nouns and na-adjectives<\/b>: append \u300c\u3067\u3042\u308c\u3070\u300d
        \nExample<\/p>\n
          \n
        1. \u5b66\u751f\u3000\u2192\u3000\u5b66\u751f\u3067\u3042\u308c\u3070<\/em><\/li>\n
        2. \u6687\u3000\u2192\u3000\u6687\u3067\u3042\u308c\u3070<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n

          Example<\/h3>\n
            \n
          1. \u65e9\u3081\u306b\u96fb\u8a71\u3059\u308c\u3070<\/em>\u3001\u4e88\u7d04\u304c\u7c21\u5358\u306b\u3067\u304d\u308b\u3088\u3002
            \nIf (you) call early, (you) can make (a) reservation easily.<\/li>\n
          2. \u660e\u65e5\u306f\u5fd9\u3057\u304f\u306a\u3051\u308c\u3070<\/em>\u3001\u6620\u753b\u3092\u898b\u306b\u884c\u304b\u306a\u3044\uff1f
            \nIf tomorrow is not busy, won’t (you) to go to watch movie?<\/li>\n
          3. \u89aa\u5207\u306a\u4eba\u3067\u3042\u308c\u3070<\/em>\u3001\u53cb\u9054\u306b\u306a\u308c\u308b\u3068\u601d\u3046\u3002
            \nIf (he\/she) is (a) nice person, (I) think (we) can become friends.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            Past Conditional<\/h2>\n

            The past conditional is created by adding \u300c\u3089\u300d to the past tense form of a verb, noun, or adjective. The full form is \u300c\u3089\u3070\u300d but the \u300c\u3070\u300d is usually omitted.<\/p>\n

            This form can also used in the past tense to describe something that was unexpected instead of a condition.<\/p>\n

            \nPast conditional conjugation rule<\/span>
            \nChange the noun, adjective, or verb to its past tense and append \u300c\u3089\uff08\u3070\uff09\u300d
            \nExample<\/p>\n
              \n
            1. \u53cb\u9054\u3060\u3063\u305f\uff0b\u3089<\/em> = \u53cb\u9054\u3060\u3063\u305f\u3089<\/li>\n
            2. \u5fd9\u3057\u304b\u3063\u305f \u2192 \u5fd9\u3057\u304b\u3063\u305f\uff0b\u3089<\/em> = \u5fd9\u3057\u304b\u3063\u305f\u3089<\/li>\n
            3. \u98df\u3079\u305f \u2192 \u98df\u3079\u305f\uff0b\u3089<\/em> = \u98df\u3079\u305f\u3089<\/li>\n
            4. \u8aad\u3093\u3060 \u2192 \u8aad\u3093\u3060\uff0b\u3089<\/em> = \u8aad\u3093\u3060\u3089<\/li>\n
            5. \u6687\u3058\u3083\u306a\u304b\u3063\u305f\uff0b\u3089<\/em> = \u6687\u3058\u3083\u306a\u304b\u3063\u305f\u3089<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n

              Example<\/h3>\n
                \n
              1. \u4eca\u65e5\u306f\u5fd9\u3057\u304b\u3063\u305f\u3089<\/em>\u3001\u660e\u65e5\u4f1a\u3044\u307e\u3057\u3087\u3046\u3002
                \nIf (you) are busy today, let’s meet tomorrow.<\/li>\n
              2. \u884c\u304d\u305f\u304f\u306a\u304b\u3063\u305f\u3089<\/em>\u3001\u3069\u3046\u3057\u3066\u884c\u304d\u305f\u3044\u3068\u8a00\u3063\u305f\u306e\uff1f
                \nIf (you) didn’t want to go, why did (you) say (you) wanted to go?<\/li>\n
              3. \u5bb6\u306b\u5e30\u3063\u305f\u3089<\/em>\u3001\u72ac\u304c\u3054\u307f\u3092\u6563\u3089\u304b\u3057\u3066\u3044\u305f\u3002
                \nWhen (I) returned home, (the) dog was scattering around (the) garbage.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                Contextual conditional<\/h2>\n

                The contextual conditional is used by appending \u300c\u306a\u3089\uff08\u3070\uff09\u300d to a noun, verb, or adjective. The full form is \u300c\u306a\u3089\u3070\u300d but the \u300c\u3070\u300d is usually omitted.<\/p>\n

                This conditional is used to describe something in a given context. Often, there is no actual conditional, ie “Well, if that’s the case, then…” or “Given that…”<\/p>\n

                \nContextual conditional usage rule<\/span>
                \nAppend \u300c\u306a\u3089\uff08\u3070\uff09\u300d to the noun, verb, or adjective
                \nExample<\/p>\n
                  \n
                1. \u53cb\u9054\uff0b\u306a\u3089<\/em> = \u53cb\u9054\u306a\u3089<\/li>\n
                2. \u5fd9\u3057\u3044\uff0b\u306a\u3089<\/em> = \u5fd9\u3057\u3044\u306a\u3089<\/li>\n
                3. \u5fd9\u3057\u304f\u306a\u3044\uff0b\u306a\u3089<\/em> = \u5fd9\u3057\u304f\u306a\u3044\u306a\u3089<\/li>\n
                4. \u98df\u3079\u308b\uff0b\u306a\u3089<\/em> = \u98df\u3079\u308b\u306a\u3089<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n

                  Example<\/h3>\n
                    \n
                  1. \u7686\u304c\u884c\u304d\u305f\u304f\u306a\u3044\u3068\u8a00\u3046\u306a\u3089<\/em>\u3001\u79c1\u3082\u884c\u304b\u306a\u3044\u3088\u3002
                    \nIf everybody is saying (they) don’t want to go, I won’t go as well.<\/li>\n
                  2. \u30a2\u30ea\u30b9\u3061\u3083\u3093\u306a\u3089<\/em>\u3001\u3082\u3046\u5bb6\u306b\u5e30\u3063\u305f\u3088\u3002
                    \nIf (you’re) referring to Alice-chan, (she) went home already, you know.<\/li>\n
                  3. \u6628\u65e5\u8d77\u304d\u305f\u8a71\u306a\u3089<\/em>\u3001\u7530\u4e2d\u3055\u3093\u304b\u3089\u3082\u3046\u805e\u3044\u305f\u3088\u3002
                    \nIf (you’re) referring to (the) story of (what) happened yesterday, (I) already heard from Tanaka-san.<\/li>\n
                  4. \u5fd9\u3057\u304f\u306a\u3044\u306a\u3089<\/em>\u3001\u3069\u3046\u3057\u3066\u4f1a\u3048\u306a\u3044\u306e\uff1f
                    \nIf (you’re) not busy, why can’t you meet (me)?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                    Natural consequence<\/h2>\n

                    The natural conditional is used by appending \u300c\u3068\u300d for verbs and i-adjectives or \u300c\u3060\u3068\u300d for nouns and na-adjectives.<\/p>\n

                    This conditional is used to describe things that happen as a natural consequence with very high certainty ie, “If you do X, Y will certainly happen.” It can also be translated as “when” in addition to “if”.<\/p>\n

                    \nNatural conditional usage rule<\/span>
                    \nAppend \u300c\u3068\u300d to the noun, verb, or adjective
                    \nExample<\/p>\n