Differences: ば vs たら vs なら vs と

At its core, all four patterns create a condition. If A happens, then B happens. But they each have a different flavor or "vibe."

• と is the "Automatic" conditional. It is for things that always happen. Think of it like a law of nature or a machine.
• たら is the "Sequential" conditional. It is the most common one. It focuses on what happens *after* the condition is met.
• ば is the "Logical" conditional. It focuses purely on the requirement itself. It sounds a bit more structured and formal.
• なら is the "Contextual" conditional. It is like saying, "If that is what we are talking about, then..."

Imagine you are at a train station. If you press the button, the ticket comes out. That is と. If you get on the train, call me. That is たら. If you go to Tokyo, the Shinkansen is best. That is なら. If the train comes, we can leave. That is ば.

1. 1Each of these has its own transformation rules. Let's look at them one by one.
2. 2と (The Natural Result): Just take the dictionary form of a verb or an i-adjective and add と. For nouns or na-adjectives, use だ + と.
3. 3飲む -> 飲むと (If you drink...)
4. 4寒い -> 寒いと (If it's cold...)
5. 5ば (The Requirement): For verbs, change the final u sound to an e sound and add ば. For i-adjectives, drop the い and add ければ.
6. 6食べる -> 食べれば (If you eat...)
7. 7安い -> 安ければ (If it's cheap...)
8. 8たら (The Swiss Army Knife): Take the た form (past tense) of anything and add ら.
9. 9行った -> 行ったら (If/When you go...)
10. 10暇だ -> 暇だったら (If you're free...)
11. 11なら (The Conversation Bridge): Just add なら directly to the dictionary form of verbs or i-adjectives. For nouns and na-adjectives, don't add anything extra, just なら.
12. 12行く -> 行くなら (If you're going...)
13. 13京都 -> 京都なら (If it's Kyoto...)

Use と when you are giving directions or talking about science. "Turn right and you'll see the bank." Or "If you heat ice, it melts." It feels very certain. No room for opinions here. It is like a grammar traffic light: red means stop, green means go, no arguments.

Use たら for almost everything else. It is your best friend. Use it for personal plans, advice, or things that might happen. "If it rains tomorrow, I'll stay home." It works perfectly for 90% of your daily conversations.

Use ば when you want to sound a bit more intellectual or focus on a condition. It is great for proverbs or logical statements. "If you have money, you can buy it." It is less about the action and more about the possibility.

Use なら when you are responding to someone else. If your friend says, "I want to eat sushi," you say, "If it's sushi (なら), Midori Sushi is great!" You are building a bridge from their topic to your suggestion.

This is where people trip up.

Do not use と or ば if the second part of your sentence is a command, a request, or an opinion. You cannot say お金があれば、これを買って. That sounds like a glitchy AI. Instead, use たら.

Do not use なら for natural consequences. You wouldn't say "If the sun rises (なら), it gets light." That sounds like the sun rising is just a topic of conversation you're considering.

Avoid ば in casual speech unless you want to sound like a math teacher. It is not wrong, but it can feel a bit stiff. Think of it like wearing a tie to a pajama party.

The most common mistake is using なら instead of たら for time sequences. If you say 家に着くなれば、電話して, you're saying "If you're in the state of arriving..." which is weird. You want 着いたら (Once you arrive).

Another big one is using と for things that only happen once. と is for things that *always* happen. If you say "If I go to the party (と), I'll see her," you're implying that every single time you go to a party, you magically see her. Unless you're a stalker, that's probably not what you mean!

Finally, don't forget the だ for と with nouns. 休みと is wrong; it must be 休みだと.

Let's compare ば and たら. ば is a prerequisite. たら is a sequence.

Imagine: 薬を飲めば治る vs 薬を飲んだら治る.

The first one (ば) sounds like a doctor's explanation: "Taking this medicine is the requirement for recovery."

The second one (たら) sounds like a friend's advice: "Take this medicine, and then you'll get better."

Now look at たら vs なら.

日本に行ったら means "After you get to Japan."

日本に行くなら means "If you are planning on going to Japan (before you actually go)."

One is about the destination, the other is about the plan. This tiny change shifts the whole timeline of your sentence!