[Serie: All About Japanese Particles]
1. Indicates a supposition and result: “if … then.”
Note: -Tara (#35, no. 1) is similar in usage.
明日天気がよければ、ドライブに行きましょう。
Ashita tenki ga yokereba, doraibu ni ikimashō.
If the weather is nice tomorrow, let’s go for a drive.
お金があれば、大きい家が買いたいですね。
Okane ga areba, ōkii ie ga kaitai desu ne.
If I had the money, I’d like to buy a big house.
2. Indicates that the clause after -ba is the result of the clause before it: “if … then.”
Note: To (#6, III-3) can also be used here.
六甲山に登れば、神戸の街がきれいに見えますよ。
Rokko-san ni noboreba, Kōbe no machi ga kirei ni miemasu yo.
If you climb Mt. Rokko, you can get a good view of the city of Kobe.
よく練習すれば、このピアノ曲が弾けるようになります。
Yoku renshu sureba, kono piano-kyoku ga hikeru yo ni narimasu.
If you practice hard, you’ll be able to play this piano piece.
*3. Used to introduce a clause: “if’ (but not a cause-effect relationship).
よろしければ、お菓子を召し上がってください。
Yoroshikereba, okashi o meshiagatte kudasai.
If you would like, please have some of the sweets.
考えてみれば、よくこんなに会社が大きくなったものだ。
Kangaete mireba, yoku konna ni kaisha ga ōkiku natta mono da.
You think about it, it is remarkable that the company has gotten this big.
4. Idiomatic usages of the -ba conditional.
a) … ieba: “… stated.”
簡単に言えば、それは無理だということでしょう。
Kantan ni ieba, sore wa muri da to iu koto deshō.
Simply stated, that means it is impossible. (Lit., If we state it simply …)
b) Dekireba: “if possible (lit., if it can be done).”
できれば明後日のほうが私は都合がいいんですが。。。
Dekireba myōgonichi no hō ga watashi wa tsugō ga ii-n desu ga …
If possible, the day after tomorrow would be better for me.
*5. Used to connect two similar events or states: “and.”
今日は、天気もよければ風もないで、お花見には最適です。
Kō wa, tenki mo yokereba kaze mo nai de, o hanami ni wa saiteki desu.
Today is perfect for flower-viewing: the weather is nice and there’s no wind.
戦後は米もなければ野菜もないで、大変でしたよ。
Sengo wa kome mo nakereba yasai mo nae de, taihen deshita yo.
After the war there was no rice and there were no vegetables; [things] were very difficult.
6. In the form V-ba ii “one ought to do, one need only do.”
本を借りるには、ここに名前を書けばいいんです。
Hon o kariru ni wa, koko ni namae o kakeba ii-n desu.
To borrow a book, you need only write your name here.
たしかに宿題を忘れたのは君の責任ですが、先生にあやまりさえすればいいんです。
Tashika ni shukudai o wasureta no wa kimi no sekinin desu ga, sensei ni ayamari sae sureba ii-n desu.
While it was certainly your fault that you forgot the homework, all you have to do is apologize to the teacher.
– Source: All about particles – A handbook of Japanese function words –
