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文法 · JLPT N4 grammar
〜ば
ba · if ~
〜ば is the conditional of what it takes: change the final -u to -eba (行けば, 食べれば). If A, then B follows.
How to form it
| う-verbs: 〜u → 〜eba | 行く → 行けば |
| る-verbs: る → れば | 食べる → 食べれば |
| い-adj → 〜ければ | 安ければ |
| ない → なければ | 行かなければ |
How it is used
〜ば is about the condition needed: 「薬を飲めば、治ります」, if you take the medicine, you'll get better. After an action verb, a request or intention in the second half sounds wrong; 〜たら is safer there.
〜ばよかった means I should have: 「もっと勉強すればよかった」.
Examples
Tap a kanji for its reading.
- 急げば、間に合います。If you hurry, you'll make it.
- 安ければ、買いたいです。If it's cheap, I'd like to buy it.
- 分からなければ、聞いてください。If you don't understand, please ask.
- もっと早く起きればよかった。I should have got up earlier.
Practice: 3 JLPT questions using 〜ば
この 人は 天気が わるい 日は どう しますか。
It takes forty minutes by train to work. I used to think that was normal. But last year I tried cycling and arrived in thirty. It's exercise too. Since then I cycle whenever the weather is good.
Q: What does this person do in bad weather? — Take the train.
男の 人は 映画を どう 思って いますか。
W: Did you see that film?
M: Yes. I think the story was well done. But three hours is too long. It should have been a bit shorter.
Q: What does the man think of the film? — The story is good but it's too long.
この人は何を後悔しているか。
I wish I had listened to my grandfather more while he was well. About the war years, about his work when young. I thought I could ask any time. But there is no one you can ask 'any time'. Now I can only look at photos and imagine.
Q: What does this person regret? — Not listening to their grandfather's stories.