N4 · Unit 9
Lesson 35If, even if, and limited scope
Make a future hypothesis, express a result that holds even when a condition changes, and limit quantity or scope.
What you learn
Make a future hypothesis, express a result that holds even when a condition changes, and limit quantity or scope.
Learning points
- Hypothetical conditions
- Concessive conditions
- Only and limited scope
Why this lesson comes now
This lesson connects what you can already say to a new way of expressing it. Hear the key sentences, understand the structure, then use it in a real situation.
Your next step
Listen to the key sentences, understand the pattern, finish the examples and vocabulary, then continue to the next lesson.
Open the interactive lessonCore pattern
普通形過去 + ら ・ 動詞て / い形容詞くて / な形容詞・名詞で + も ・ N + だけ ・ N + しか + 否定 ・ N + でもBeginner explanation
Replace the final た of the past form with たら to make an open 'if' condition. 〜ても／でも says the result remains the same even when the condition holds. だけ gives an objective limit, while しか must take a negative predicate and often suggests that the amount feels limited. Nでも presents an extreme example meaning 'even N'.
Understand these sentences first
- 時間が あったら、町を 案内します。jikan ga attara, machi o annai shimasu
If I have time, I will show you around town.
- 雨が 降っても、試合は あります。ame ga futte mo, shiai wa arimasu
The match will take place even if it rains.
- 今日は 水だけ 飲みます。kyō wa mizu dake nomimasu
Today I will drink only water.
- 財布に 千円しか ありません。saifu ni sen-en shika arimasen
I have only one thousand yen in my wallet.
Core vocabulary
- 中止ちゅうしcancellation
- 試合しあいmatch
- 残りますのこりますremain
- 間に合いますまにあいますbe in time
- 調べますしらべますlook up; investigate
- 大人おとなadult
- 子供こどもchild
- それでもそれでもeven so
Grammar, one point at a time
Replace final た or だ of the past form with たら to make an if-condition
普通形過去 + らUse ta-form + ら for verbs, かったら for i-adjectives, だったら for affirmative nouns and na-adjectives, and でなかったら for their negatives. The result may contain volition, requests, commands, or discoveries.
Examples
- 明日 雨が 降ったら、大会は 中止です。If it rains tomorrow, the event will be cancelled.
- 寒かったら、窓を 閉めてください。If it is cold, please close the window.
- 問題が あったら、教えてください。If there is a problem, please tell me.
たら can also mean when or after A is completed, B follows
Aたら、BThis use does not doubt whether A occurs; it places B after A is complete. If B is a discovery, the speaker normally did not control that result in advance.
Examples
- 駅に 着いたら、電話してください。Call me when you arrive at the station.
- 窓を 開けたら、雪が 降っていました。When I opened the window, I found it was snowing.
ても or でも means the result remains despite the first condition
Vて／Aくて／Nで + もUse te-form + も for verbs, くても for i-adjectives, and でも for nouns and na-adjectives. It can be hypothetical or comment on an event that actually occurred.
Examples
- 日本へ 帰っても、勉強を 続けてください。Continue studying even after returning to Japan.
- 忙しくても、休日は 休みます。Even when busy, I rest on holidays.
- 辞書で 調べても、分かりませんでした。I did not understand even after checking a dictionary.
だけ objectively limits the range in either an affirmative or negative sentence
N + だけIt means only this much without necessarily expressing disappointment. Following が and を may be omitted, while particles such as に, で, and から normally remain.
Examples
- 今年の 休みは 3日だけです。This year's break is only three days.
- その 料理だけを 食べませんでした。That was the only dish I did not eat.
しか requires a negative predicate and often conveys nothing else or less than expected
N + しか + 否定The predicate must be grammatically negative, while the whole sentence means only. With quantities, the speaker often implies that the amount is insufficient.
Examples
- 会議室には 李さんしか いません。Only Li is in the meeting room.
- 北京に 3日しか 滞在できません。I can stay in Beijing for only three days, which feels short.
- 水しか 飲みません。I drink nothing but water.
Noun + でも can present an extreme example meaning even
N + でもWhether it means even a primary-school child can or even an adult cannot depends on why the example is surprising. Do not confuse it with the suggestion use in coffee or something.
Examples
- その 計算は 小学生でも できます。Even a primary-school child can do that calculation.
- その 問題は 大人でも 分かりません。Even adults do not understand that problem.
Expressions and situations
何かあった means something happened, not an object existed
When asking someone, 何かあったんですか softens the question. Do not keep probing if the person does not want to answer.
- 元気が ないですね。何か あったんですか。You do not seem yourself. Did something happen?
あと + quantity tells how much remains until completion or a point in time
あと少し, あと10分, and あと1人 count what is still needed. Context distinguishes this from 後 meaning behind or after.
- 出発まで あと 10分です。There are ten minutes until departure.
Question word + でも can form universal expressions such as anyone, anywhere, anytime, and any N
Use だれでも rather than building the basic anyone meaning from どの人でも, and いつでも rather than どの時でも. With negation, universal forms often become だれも～ない or どこにも～ない.
- この 問題は だれでも できます。Anyone can do this problem.
- この 店は いつでも 混んでいます。This shop is crowded at all times.
Noun + のとおりに means in the way shown by a model, instructions, forecast, or plan
Verbs may use Vるとおりに or Vたとおりに. If a result fails despite following instructions, とおりに says the steps matched, not that the instructions or outcome were correct.
- 説明書のとおりに 組み立てます。I assemble it according to the instructions.
なかなか + negative means expected progress is difficult to achieve
This differs from affirmative なかなかおいしい, quite tasty. The negative use often combines with 上手くできない, 治らない, or 見つからない.
- 説明を 読んでも、なかなか 分かりません。Even after reading the instructions, I cannot readily understand.
だんだん describes gradual change
It often combines with なる, 増える, 減る, or 上手になる. It does not claim that change is perfectly linear or irreversible.
- 練習すると、だんだん 上手に なります。With practice, you gradually improve.
Quantity + は + affirmative predicate can mean at least this much
30個は食べられる means thirty is no problem and perhaps more, not exactly thirty. With a negative predicate, the interpretation can change, so read the whole sentence.
- 修理に 10日は かかります。The repair will take at least ten days.
When visiting a private home, follow the host's rules rather than contrasting Chinese and Japanese households as fixed types
JNTO says shoes are removed at the entrance in most Japanese homes, but follow the actual setting. Room size, tidiness, tea refills, and hosting burden vary by household and cannot be inferred from nationality.
- 玄関で 靴を 脱いだほうが いいですか。Should I remove my shoes at the entrance?
乾杯 is a social signal to begin a gathering, not an order to empty a glass or drink alcohol
MHLW guidance calls for considering age, constitution, health, and alcohol risk, and explicitly says coercing others to drink should be avoided. Non-drinkers may join a toast with a non-alcoholic drink; rapid heavy drinking, drinking penalties, and workplace coercion are not culture to imitate.
- アルコールは 飲みませんが、いっしょに 乾杯します。I do not drink alcohol, but I will join the toast.
What you should be able to do
- Form affirmative and negative たら clauses from verbs, i-adjectives, na-adjectives, and nouns.
- Distinguish hypothetical たら, after-completion たら, and regular-result と.
- Turn verbs, adjectives, and nouns into concessive ても or でも clauses.
- Use だけ, しか～ない, quantity + は, and quantity + も with the same amount and explain the nuance.
- Practise だれでも, いつでも, and どこでも against negative だれも～ない and どこにも～ない.
- Complete an original home-party task asking house rules, offering non-alcoholic choices, avoiding pressure, and accepting refusal.
Culture and real use
Modern boundaries for home visits and toasts: follow the setting, respect refusal, and never coerce
Most Japanese homes expect shoes to be removed at the entrance, but visitors should still follow the host's directions, floor zones, and provided slippers rather than treating room size, tidiness, or tea refills as universal national behavior. A toast is a social signal to begin together; it does not require emptying a glass or using alcohol. MHLW's 2024 drinking guidance stresses that alcohol effects vary by age, sex, constitution, and health, and lists rapid heavy drinking, coercing others, and drinking while ill or after medication among behavior to avoid. MHLW anti-harassment material also defines pressure based on hierarchy, tradition, or penalties that leaves someone feeling unable to refuse as alcohol harassment. The course therefore teaches 乾杯, 祝う, and 飲まない without presenting pressure or rapid drinking as culture to imitate.
- お酒は 飲みません。ソフトドリンクで 乾杯します。I do not drink alcohol. I will toast with a soft drink.
- 無理に 飲まなくても いいです。You do not need to force yourself to drink.
- 玄関で 靴を 脱ぎますか。Should I remove my shoes at the entrance?