JLPT N4 grammar · Chapter 10

～ば

If this condition is met

You'll be able to build the ば conditional and connect a condition to its expected result.

Illustration of the scene described by If I have time, I will go to the park.

Read it first

時間じかんがあれば、公園こうえんに行いきます。

jikan ga areba, kouen ni ikimasu.

What do you think this sentence means?

If I have time, I will go to the park.

Why it means that

Set a condition for a result

～ば highlights a condition under which a result is possible or expected. It is useful for explaining what is needed, as in having enough time or a low enough price.

Formation overview

Group 1 · Godan

う → えば

買かう → 買かえば

kau → kaeba

buy → ba form

く → けば

書かく → 書かけば

kaku → kakeba

write → ba form

ぐ → げば

泳およぐ → 泳およげば

oyogu → oyogeba

swim → ba form

す → せば

話はなす → 話はなせば

hanasu → hanaseba

speak → ba form

つ → てば

待まつ → 待まてば

matsu → mateba

wait → ba form

ぬ → ねば

死しぬ → 死しねば

shinu → shineba

die → ba form

ぶ → べば

遊あそぶ → 遊あそべば

asobu → asobeba

play → ba form

む → めば

読よむ → 読よめば

yomu → yomeba

read → ba form

る → れば

乗のる → 乗のれば

noru → noreba

ride → ba form

Group 2 · Ichidan

remove る + れば

食たべる → 食たべれば

taberu → tabereba

eat → ba form

remove る + れば

見みる → 見みれば

miru → mireba

see/watch → ba form

Group 3 · Irregular

special form

する → すれば

suru → sureba

do → ba form

special form

来くる → 来くれば

kuru → kureba

come → ba form

Group 1 · Godan	う → えば	買かう → 買かえば kau → kaeba	buy → ba form
	く → けば	書かく → 書かけば kaku → kakeba	write → ba form
	ぐ → げば	泳およぐ → 泳およげば oyogu → oyogeba	swim → ba form
	す → せば	話はなす → 話はなせば hanasu → hanaseba	speak → ba form
	つ → てば	待まつ → 待まてば matsu → mateba	wait → ba form
	ぬ → ねば	死しぬ → 死しねば shinu → shineba	die → ba form
	ぶ → べば	遊あそぶ → 遊あそべば asobu → asobeba	play → ba form
	む → めば	読よむ → 読よめば yomu → yomeba	read → ba form
	る → れば	乗のる → 乗のれば noru → noreba	ride → ba form
Group 2 · Ichidan	remove る + れば	食たべる → 食たべれば taberu → tabereba	eat → ba form
Group 2 · Ichidan	remove る + れば	見みる → 見みれば miru → mireba	see/watch → ba form
Group 3 · Irregular	special form	する → すれば suru → sureba	do → ba form
Group 3 · Irregular	special form	来くる → 来くれば kuru → kureba	come → ba form

How it is built

Group 1 · Godan

For Group 1 verbs, change the final u-row kana to the e-row and add ば.

Group 1 dictionary ending→ba ending

Examples

買かう → 買かえば

kau → kaeba

buy → ba form

書かく → 書かけば

kaku → kakeba

write → ba form

泳およぐ → 泳およげば

oyogu → oyogeba

swim → ba form

話はなす → 話はなせば

hanasu → hanaseba

speak → ba form

待まつ → 待まてば

matsu → mateba

wait → ba form

死しぬ → 死しねば

shinu → shineba

die → ba form

遊あそぶ → 遊あそべば

asobu → asobeba

play → ba form

読よむ → 読よめば

yomu → yomeba

read → ba form

乗のる → 乗のれば

noru → noreba

ride → ba form

How it is built

Group 2 · Ichidan

Remove final る and add れば. The result expresses a condition, not ability.

Group 2 without final る+れば

Examples

食たべる → 食たべれば

taberu → tabereba

eat → ba form

見みる → 見みれば

miru → mireba

see/watch → ba form

How it is built

Group 3 · Irregular

する becomes すれば. 来くる becomes 来くれば, with the reading くれば.

する / 来る→すれば / 来れば

Examples

する → すれば

suru → sureba

do → ba form

来くる → 来くれば

kuru → kureba

come → ba form

How it is built

Adjectives and negative conditions

For い-adjectives, replace final い with ければ. The negative ending ない follows the same rule: なければ. Nouns and な-adjectives usually use なら; であれば is a more formal alternative.

い-adjective without い+ければ/Negative without final い+ければ

Examples

安やすい → 安やすければ

yasui → yasukereba

inexpensive → if inexpensive

行いかない → 行いかなければ

ikanai → ikanakereba

not go → if not going

How it is built

Form and use ～ば

する becomes すれば and 来くる becomes 来くれば (くれば). い-adjectives use ければ; negatives use なければ. Nouns and な-adjectives commonly use なら or であれば. With a controllable action by the same subject, requests and intentions in the result may call for たら instead.

Group 1 e-row stem+ば/Group 2 without る+れば

Examples

安やすければ、買かいます。

yasukereba, kaimasu.

If it is inexpensive, I will buy it.

毎日まいにち練習れんしゅうすれば、上手じょうずになります。

mainichi renshuu sureba, jouzu ni narimasu.

If you practice every day, you will improve.

分わからなければ、聞きいてください。

wakaranakereba, kiite kudasai.

If you do not understand, please ask.

Examples

お金かねがあれば、新あたらしいパソコンを買かいたいです。

okane ga areba, atarashii pasokon o kaitai desu.

If I had the money, I'd like to buy a new computer.

このボタンを押おせば、駅員えきいんさんと話はなせます。

kono botan o oseba, ekiinsan to hanasemasu.

If you press this button, you can talk to a station attendant.

急いそげば、九時くじの電車でんしゃに間まに合あいます。

isogeba, kuji no densha ni maniaimasu.

If we hurry, we'll make the nine o'clock train.

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