Agony or Fun?! Second Language Learning

[Subordinate Clause], [Main Clause].

= [Hypothetical Clause], [Conclusion].

= [ — + (V-ba)], [What will happen if hypothesis come true].

1. Kusuri o Nomeba, Kaze ga Naori masu. (If you take a medicine, the cold will be cured.)

2. Kita-kaze ga Fukeba, Suzushiku Nari masu. (If the north wind blows, it will get cooler.)

3. Shitsumon ga Areba, Watashi ni Kiite kudasai. (If you have a question, please ask me.)

Let us look at the sentence 2. The hypothetical clause is “Kita-kaze ga Fukeba,” and the conclusion is “Suzushiku Nari masu.” Is this conclusion expected or unexpected from the hypothetical clause? I should say I am sorry for the people in southern hemisphere, but in the northern hemisphere, the north wind is cool (or even cold), and the south wind is warm (or hot). Therefore, the conclusion is expected from the hypothesis.

Do you remember that there are two types of connections between two clauses. One is “So-therefore” type, and the other is “But-however” type, which we have learned in the section 25.

Here is an example of So-therefore connection;

4. Kita-kaze ga Fuitara, Suzushiku Nari masu. (If the north wind blows, then it will get cooler.)

And an example of But-however connection;

5. kita-kaze ga Fuitemo, Suzushiku Nari masen. (Even if the north wind blows, it will not get cooler.)

The conclusion in the sentence 4 is an expected one, but that of the sentence 5 is not. Whenever we connect two clauses, it is so important to choose properly a conjunctive particle that is So-therefore type or But-however type. Then the question is whether “-ba” in the conditional form is So-therefore or But-however connection. Since the conclusion in the sentence 2 is an expected one, “-ba” is So-therefore connection.

Now, given that “-tara” and “-ba” are both So-therefore types, you may find that “-tara” and “-ba” are similar to each other in the respect of being used for conditional and/or hypothetical clauses. Actually, they are almost the same in the following sentences;

3. Shitsumon ga Areba, Watashi ni Kiite kudasai. (If you have a question, please ask me.)

6. Shitsumon ga Attara, Watashi ni Kiite kudasai. (If you have a question, please ask me.)

I think it is also okay to dealing with the two as almost the same without focusing on the difference at this stage of beginners’ level. The first thing a learner needs to do is to learn the new expressions so that he/she will be able to operate the expression. As the learner repeatedly uses the expression many times, eventually he/she will find a small difference of nuance someday. Yes, there is a small difference, So it is also important to think that different expressions do have differences.

7. Haru ga Kitara, Sakura ga Sakimasu. (When spring comes, cherry flowers bloom.)

8. Haru ga Kureba, Sakura ga Sakimasu. (If spring comes, cherry flowers bloom.)

It seems that the sentences 7 and 8 are almost the same. But let me tell you more detailed meanings of the two;

7=> Once spring has come, what will happen next is that cherry flowers get blooming.

8=> In order for cherry flowers to bloom, Spring’s coming is the condition necessary.

Simply put, when you want to say the result, use “-tara”. When you want to say condition, use “-ba” for the conditional/hypothesis clause. More examples about differences between “-tara” and “-ba” are shown below;

9. Kusuri o Nondara, Kaze ga Naori masu. (Once you have taken the medicine, then you will get cured from the cold.)

1. Kusuri o Nomeba, Kaze ga Naori masu. (For you to be cured from the cured, you need to take the medicine.)

4. Kita-kaze ga Fuitara, Suzushiku Nari masu. (When the north wind blows, what will happen next is getting cooler.)

2. Kita-kaze ga Fukeba, Suzushiku Nari masu. (In order for the atmosphere to get cool, one of the conditions is blowing of the north wind.)

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This post was written with reference to the exercise A2 on Section35 of “Minna no Nihongo (2nd Edition)” published by “3A Corporation”