もし～たなら

moshi ~ tanara

JLPT N3 Neutral Chapter 54: N3: Conditional (If / Assuming That), 1 of 2

Formation

もし + Verb-casual past + なら, もし + い-Adjective-casual past + なら, もし + な-Adjective + だったなら, もし + Noun + だったなら

Express a hypothetical condition, 'if' or 'in case'.

When to use

The everyday "if" - もし signals a hypothetical up front.

Explanation

The もし～たなら grammar point is used to express a hypothetical condition or situation in a more polite manner. It emphasizes the conditional part of a sentence and can be translated as 'if' or 'in case' in English. It is mainly used with verbs in the past tense, casual form.

Example sentences

もし雨あめが降ふったなら、傘かさを持もって行いきましょう。

If it rains, let's bring an umbrella.

Moshi ame ga futta nara, kasa wo motte ikimashou.
もしケーキが美味おいしくなかったなら、誰だれも食たべないでしょう。

If the cake was not delicious, nobody would eat it.

Moshi keeki ga oishikunakatta nara, daremo tabenai deshou.
もし彼かれが病気びょうきだったなら、すぐに病院びょういんに行いかせてあげてください。

If he was sick, please take him to the hospital right away.

Moshi kare ga byouki datta nara, sugu ni byouin ni ikasete agete kudasai.
もし彼女かのじょが学生がくせいだったなら、このレストランは割引わりびきがあるでしょう。

If she were a student, there would be a discount at this restaurant.

Moshi kanojo ga gakusei datta nara, kono resutoran wa waribiki ga aru deshou.

Conditional (If / Assuming That)

Compare when to use each