Conditional sentences in Japanese
Conditional sentences are one of the trickier corners of Japanese grammar. To make sense of them, I collected examples from anime—because conditionals are deeply contextual, and seeing them in action with clear context is far more useful than abstract rules alone.
We start with Omoi, on his way to Konoha with Karui and Samui.
そのこたちがむちゃくちゃ告白してきたらいったいどうしようかと思ってさ。 → I was wondering what I would do if all the girls confessed their feelings to me.
子 (こ) = child or young woman; young geisha [たち = pluralizing suffix]
むちゃくちゃ = very; extremely; excessively [adverb]
告白 (こくはく) = confession of love; professing one's feelings [suru verb; here in its 〜てくる "form—"their love confessions will come my way"]
〜たら = conditional sentence marker
いったい = what in the world; what the hell
どうしようか = indirect question (more here) [どう = how; しよう = する in its "let's" or "will" form]
と思ってさ = in this context, translatable as "I wonder…"; さ is a filler word. Also, 思って is 思っている — the anime/rough guy way of saying it.
Before we dive in — English conditionals, briefly
In English (at least in the ESL setting), we tend to approach conditionals from the angle of when something happens or happened. Students learn to distinguish between actions that are possible in the future, already happened, or might never happen.
0 conditional—general truths; things that always happen because that's just how they work. If Madara shows up, it means shit gets real. Always the case.
1st conditional—future actions; something almost certain to happen. If you insult the Second Mizukage once again, he will start fighting us for real!
2nd conditional—unreal present situations; imagining an alternative to what's happening now. If we knew who was controlling Edo Tensei, I'd be able to come up with a more accurate plan.
3rd conditional—unreal past situations; something happened, you regret it, and you're imagining an alternative past. If I had noticed that void in your heart back then, we would have become friends sooner. (Obito about Kakashi.)
You can also mix conditionals: 2nd + 3rd, 3rd + 2nd, etc.
In Japanese, the logic is different. Instead of asking "is this a future event?", you have to ask: is this contextual? Is the result more important than the condition? Does this fall into the category of rules or recipes? Japanese conditionals come from a different angle entirely.
Japanese conditional sentences
〜たら
Stefan Kaiser writes (p. 575) that 〜たら is used when:
"When..., then..." — the "when" part is certain to happen, and "then" follows inevitably. When I finish this report, I will go home. When I grow up, I want to be a doctor. I will eventually finish the report; I will grow up whether I like it or not.
Similar to 〜ば, but more colloquial. If the action in the if-clause is carried out, the action in clause B will happen. Used in regulations, recipes, rules, etc. If you show this to our boss, he won't give you the promotion. It's not a written rule, but the logic is clear enough.
"When" meaning "at the time that" / "in the process of" — no conditional connotation in English, but in Japanese, Kaiser explains, when the speaker has no control over the action and it's a pure realization, 〜たら is the right choice. I didn't want to talk to him when he told me what he did. When I talked to my boss, he warned me I'd be fired.
Hypothetical / unrealized conditions are often expressed through 〜たら + past tense (including the past continuous 〜ていた) + a modal ending like 〜でしょう・はず.
A list I made in Japanese class—contexts where 〜たら works:
Future events—When I get home, I will eat some cookies.
Hopes for the future—When I graduate, I will find a good job, for sure.
Emergency—In case of fire, call 911. When the earthquake strikes, I protect my children first.
Advice—If you drink, don't drive.
Weak suggestions—used when you don't want to sound too direct; often phrased as a question.
Unlikely dreams / situations (present and past)—If I won the lottery, I'd give half to you. (Add もし at the beginning to strengthen the "unlikely" nuance.)
Surprise—When I was about to scold the intern, the boss came in and I got scolded instead! (The clause after 〜たら is usually in past tense.)
Discovery—When I looked into the closet, my shoes were gone! (Again, clause B usually in past tense.)
With all that in mind: Omoi used 〜たら to express an unlikely situation. He likes to be dramatic and worries about everything. His disasters and scenarios are highly unlikely to actually happen.
～ば
Often interchangeable with 〜たら — but the key difference is this:
〜たら implies habitual actions. If (when) they misbehave, they are scolded. — Parents established this rule and they follow it. Unlikely to change.
〜ば refers to singular or temporary actions; things that are rules for now but not necessarily forever. If it's not expensive, it's not fashionable. — Trends change; expensive = fashionable is the rule right now, but in 10 years, who knows.
If the action is habitual, both are fine. When the context suggests a "temporary rule," only 〜ば works.
From PerePera Japanese, one more use:
〜ば suggests a hidden meaning—you want to say something without saying it directly. If only you were a better player, I'd let you play. (Hidden meaning: you're not good enough.) If you practiced a little more, you'd win that race. (Hidden meaning: you're not practicing enough.)
Strong suggestions—stronger than 〜たら; you might hear it from a senpai or boss. Can sound pushy.
Past habits—When I was a kid, I used to eat lots of sweets.
Proverbs — 〜ば is the standard choice here.
Examples — My Hero Academia
Shigaraki in season 1 of My Hero Academia said:
子供を殺せば来るのかな？ → If we kill some kids, will he come?
Shigaraki is talking about a hypothetical situation. Both 〜たら and 〜ば would work here—so what's the difference?
〜ば focuses on the condition (the if-clause)
〜たら focuses on the result
～ば vs. ～たら
Japanese Pod 101 gives the following examples:
今すぐ行けば、間に合うだろう。 今すぐ行ったら、間に合うだろう。 If you go right now, you will make it on time.
Both are correct here, since clause B can only happen if clause A occurs. But if the focus is on the condition—if you go right now—〜ば is more natural.
Note: there are cases where only 〜たら works. If clause B is an order, recommendation, request, prohibition, wish, or expression of volition, 〜たら is the right choice. For example:
日本に行ったら、京都を訪ねてください。 When you go to Japan, please visit Kyoto.
The speaker is making a request—so only 〜たら works here.
Back to Shigaraki: he's highlighting the if-clause—if we kill some kids. Given the context and his motives, emphasizing the condition with 〜ば makes sense. Some grammar books describe 〜ば as marking the condition as essential—without it, nothing happens.
Without killing the kids, All Might won't come = killing kids is essential → 〜ば. 〜たら would shift focus to the result: All Might showing up matters more than what it takes to get him there.
Example — Naruto
Context: Kakashi to Naruto. Naruto wanted to discuss Sasuke’s case with the new Hokage, Danzou. Kakashi warned him it was not a good idea.
へたをすれば牢に込まれることになる → If you make a wrong move, you'll end up in jail.
〜ば here emphasizes the if-clause. Naruto is reckless—we all know that. Kakashi wants to make the condition land. The hidden meaning reading from PerePera also applies: don't make a wrong move is the real message.
Example — Demon Slayer
戦っていれば刈っていた → Had he fought, he would have won.
Muzan uses 〜ば to emphasize the if-clause—Gyutaro fighting alone was the essential condition. The English translation uses an inverted conditional ("had he fought"), which also foregrounds the condition. Same logic, different language.
A pattern worth noticing! The "must" structure しなければいけません also contains 〜ば. Textbooks explain it as: "If X doesn't happen, Y won't be." You can follow that logic through: 1. Shigaraki: I MUST kill the kids. Then he will come. 2. Kakashi: You MUST make good moves. Then you won't end up in jail. 3. Muzan: Gyutaro HAD TO fight alone. Then he would have won. If you can rephrase your sentence using "must," 〜ば is likely correct.
～なら
This one is tricky. You'll find it in sentences that don't correspond to English conditionals at all—no visible "if" clause. The "if" is implied, and 〜なら is always a response to context.
It responds to what your speaker just said. If you walked into a room full of people and randomly said, "If I win the lottery, I will go to Japan" using 〜なら, that would be wrong. 〜なら needs a prior context—spoken words, or even a visible action (like someone who's about to leave).
Setting limits or conditions on your speaker's choice.
A: When can we meet again? B: Any time next week is ok! 来週ならいつでもいい。 今日なら = only today; I'm limiting your options to today.
Emphasizing a characteristic or ability; expressing trust.
It's Madara! He can destroy the whole world! マダラなら、世界を滅せる！ Depending on context: You're Madara—you can do this.
Giving suggestions in response to a question.
Where can I get good sushi? Good sushi? Well, over there! Think of it as "when it comes to…" in this context. You're going to Japan? Then you should visit Hokkaido! 日本なら北海道に行ったらどう？ If you don't get it, just ask. 分からないなら書いてください。 Even after everything was explained, you still don't get it—forget it. これほど言っても分からないなら、もういい。
Examples — Naruto
Obito declares war.
お前たちなら本当は理解しているはずだ → You're the Five Kage—you should already understand the truth.
お前たちなら = expressing ability or characteristic. The Five Kage know the system is broken. Obito is saying: given who you are, you already know this.
Shee after Obito declared war.
暁が八尾と九尾を狙っているならやつらもまだビーを執拗に追っているはずです → If Akatsuki is targeting the Eight and Nine Tails, they must still be relentlessly pursuing Bee.
狙う (ねらう) = to be after; to have an eye on; to aim at
執拗 (しつよう) = relentlessly [na-adjective; here used as an adverb]
追う (おう) = to chase; to pursue; to follow after
八尾と九尾 (はちび と きゅうび) = Eight and Nine Tails
狙っているなら = Shee is responding to context. This isn't a random statement—they'd been discussing Bijuu and Akatsuki. 〜なら picks up that thread and draws a conclusion from it.
～と
I don't have anime examples for this one, so I'll keep it short.
Something always or certainly occurs (0 conditional)—If it gets hot, the snow melts. If you turn right, there's a bank. When I'm stressed, I eat.
Narration—describing facts chronologically. When I came out of the tunnel, I saw the sea. When we arrived at the party, Mary made us drinks. (〜とき works here too.)
Can replace 〜たら when explaining something to someone—it adds a slightly empathetic tone, as if you're guiding your listener through the logic.
When there's no "if" in Japanese — but there is in English
どうすんだよ。もしあの石が岩に当たって 岩が崩れて その崩れた岩が更に大きな岩を崩して すごい岩崩れを起こしその下にあった木ノ葉の里が飲み込まれ 壊滅。 → What would we do if that rock hit a boulder, which caused it to collapse, triggering an even larger rockslide that buried the Hidden Leaf Village and wiped it out?
There's no 〜ば、〜たら、〜なら、〜と here — but the English translation reads like a conditional. This is another way it works: starting with もし and connecting actions with 〜て is valid too.
Some textbooks say using もし without a conditional marker is incorrect. But note that Omoi first asked "what will we do?" — and then gave the if-clause. It's not the typical if → then structure. Also: it's anime, so anything goes.
