Grammar › Conditionals
〜なら — “if that's the case…”
Responding to context: 日本に行くなら、京都がいい
なら means “if it's true that…/if you're talking about…”. Unlike the other conditionals, it responds to something just said or assumed: 「京都に行きます」→「京都なら、清水寺がおすすめ」(“Kyoto? Then I recommend Kiyomizu-dera”). It gives advice based on the other person's premise.
How to form it
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
| Noun + なら | お酒なら、これがおいしい — if it's alcohol you want, this is good |
| Plain form + なら | 行くなら、朝がいい — if you're going, morning is best |
Example sentences
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 日本語を勉強するなら、この本がいいです。 | にほんごをべんきょうするなら、このほんがいいです。 nihongowobenkyousurunara、konohongaiidesu。 | If you're going to study Japanese, this book is good. |
| 温泉なら、箱根がおすすめです。 | おんせんなら、はこねがおすすめです。 onsennara、hakonegaosusumedesu。 | If it's hot springs (you want), I recommend Hakone. |
| 疲れているなら、休んでください。 | つかれているなら、やすんでください。 tsukareteirunara、yasundekudasai。 | If you're tired, please rest. |
🔊 Tap any Japanese sentence to hear it; kanji link to their study pages.
Watch out
なら is about your statement's topic, so the なら-clause often happens after the main clause in time (行くなら、切符を買っておく = if you're going, buy a ticket beforehand). Compare たら, where the condition comes first in time.