Conditional と, ば, たら, なら

Core meaning and form

Use plain non-past + と, the ば conditional, past form + ら, or contextual なら. Commands and speaker-controlled results are restricted after automatic と but natural with たら or なら.

• Form: Use plain non-past + と, the ば conditional, past form + ら, or contextual なら.
• Core use: と favors automatic results, ば logical conditions, たら completed or one-off conditions, and なら a condition based on context.
• Context: Commands and speaker-controlled results are restricted after automatic と but natural with たら or なら.

Examples in context

Common errors

• Do not select this pattern from an English translation alone; check its attachment and discourse function.
• Keep the surrounding sentence in a consistent plain, polite, spoken, or written register.

Quick summary

• Use plain non-past + と, the ば conditional, past form + ら, or contextual なら.
• と favors automatic results, ば logical conditions, たら completed or one-off conditions, and なら a condition based on context.
• Commands and speaker-controlled results are restricted after automatic と but natural with たら or なら.