Using “if” in Japanese

In English, the word “if” is used often.

Consider these examples:

If you don’t do your homework you teacher will be mad.

If you break the vase your mother will be unhappy.

If you don’t wash the car your father will not give you your pocket money.

To do this in Japanese, you need to use the word to.

This is the same one you use for the word “and”.

Here’s what you do:

Sentence 1 to Sentence 2

For example:

ruii bitton no saifu wa takai to kaimasen

If the LouisVuittion purse/wallet is expensive I won’t buy it

Let’s break that down:

ruii bitton Louis Vuitton

no ownership particle/noun as adjctive particle

saifu wallet/purse

wa topic marker particle “as for”

takai expensive

to if

kaimasen negative polite for of kau “to buy”

Let’s try another one:

kabin o kowasu to okaasan ni okorareru

If you break the vase your mother will get angry

Let’s break that one down:

kabin vase

o direct object particle

kowasu break (dictionary form)

to if

okaasan mother

ni okorareru get angry

Try and make a few sentences of your own.

The only strict rule is that any verb in Sentence 1 must not be past. If the sentence is past tense then that is indicated by the tense of Sentence 2.

See you next time.

David