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JLPT N4Conditionals

なら— The Contextual "If" (Assumption)

A conditional that reacts to context. It means "if what you say is true..." or "if we are talking about X...". It bridges a stated fact or topic to the speaker's opinion or advice.

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Pro lessonUNIT 40 · CONDITIONALS

Structure · 形

[Plain form / Noun] + なら

Examples · 例文

  • 日本に行くなら、冬がいいですよ。

    Nihon ni iku nara, fuyu ga ii desu yo.

    If you're going to Japan, winter is best.

    Assumption: (given that) you are planning a trip to Japan

  • 明日なら、時間が取れます。

    Ashita nara, jikan ga toremasu.

    If it's tomorrow (that you mean), I can make time.

    Noun + なら: a contextual bridge to a specific day

  • 安い靴なら、買いたいです。

    Yasui kutsu nara, kaitai desu.

    If they're cheap shoes, I want to buy them.

    Reacting to a hypothetical category

Usage notes · 注意

  • The Social Bridge: UNLIKE the "physics" conditionals (と/たら), なら is purely about information. You take a piece of info and give a response to it.
  • Order Freedom: With なら the main clause can precede the conditioned action in time. "行くなら手を洗って" (If you're GOING to go, wash your hands) — the going hasn't started yet.
  • No Particle Needed: Attach it directly to nouns: 学校なら (if it's school...).

Commonly confused with

The JLPT rarely asks whether you recognise a pattern — it asks which of several similar patterns fits. These are the ones なら is tested against.

vsと

と is automatic cause-and-effect ('whenever A, B'); なら reacts to given information/context and often delivers advice.

vsたら

たら is 'once/after A happens, then B'; なら can present B even before A occurs (advice about a supposition).

vsば

ば is a general hypothetical conditional focused on the condition; なら keys off something just stated or a topic ('as for X, then...').

More conditionals

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