文章の中の時制と条件 (bunshō no naka no jisei to jōken) — tense and conditions inside a passage
「帰るとき」or「帰ったとき」? — a clause's tense is set by the main clause, not by 'now'.
Formula (सूत्र ढाँचा)
Grammar rule (व्याकरण नियम र परिभाषा)
When to use it
- In the N1 「文章の文法」 section a gap sits in the middle of a paragraph, and the choice between 「帰る」and「帰った」, 「〜ば」and「〜たら」, decides the answer.
- In news and editorials, these are what tell you what happened first and what never happened.
Meaning
- No new grammar here either — these are the rules for fitting tense (時制) and conditions together inside a passage.
- The key point: in Japanese the tense of a small (modifying) clause is set against the main clause, not against 'now'.
- 「国へ帰るとき、空港でお土産を買った」 — the shopping happened before arriving home, so 帰る; 「国へ帰ったとき、家族にお土産を渡した」 — the giving happened after arriving, so 帰った.
- 「前に」 always takes the dictionary form, 「後で」 always the た-form.
- For habits and general facts, and before nouns for things not yet real (可能性・目的・計画・恐れ), the present form stays even when the main clause is past: 「工場を閉める計画を発表した」.
- Historical records and story narration write past events in the present form, to make it feel 'as if you were there'.
- For conditions: forms like 「〜たら最後」「〜くらいなら」「〜たところで」 work both for something not yet real (仮定) and something that already happened (確定) — the context before tells you which.
- To imagine what did not happen, with regret or relief, use 「〜ていれば／〜たら … 〜のに・〜ところだった・〜ものを」 (反実仮想).
Watch out
- For a one-time past event where you 'did X and found Y', use 〜と／〜たら; 〜ば and 〜なら don't fit there.
- And 「思えば」「考えてみれば」「言ってみれば」 carry no 'if' at all — they are just a lead-in (前置き) to your opinion.
Examples (उदाहरणहरू)
国へ帰るとき、成田空港でお土産を買った。
くにへかえるとき、なりたくうこうでおみやげをかった。
When I was going home to my country, I bought souvenirs at Narita Airport.
How it is built (कसरी बन्यो) 買った = past tense, but the shopping happened in Japan, before reaching home → so 「帰る」 (辞書形) + とき → if it were after arriving, 「帰ったとき」.
会社は来年工場を閉める計画を発表した。
かいしゃはらいねんこうじょうをしめるけいかくをはっぴょうした。
The company announced a plan to close the factory next year.
How it is built (कसरी बन्यो) 発表した = past tense → but 「計画」 is a noun for something that hasn't happened yet → so not 「閉めた」, but 「閉める」 + 計画.
あと五分早く家を出ていれば、終電に間に合ったのに。
あとごふんはやくいえをでていれば、しゅうでんにまにあったのに。
If I had left home five minutes earlier, I would have caught the last train.
How it is built (कसरी बन्यो) 出ていれば = if I had left (but I didn't) → 間に合った = would have made it (but I didn't) → 「のに」 adds regret.
Knowledge check (मिनी ज्ञान जाँच)
「来月国へ＿とき、両親に日本のお菓子を渡すつもりだ。」 — fill the blank.
💡 Hint: Where are the sweets handed over?
The sweets are given after arriving, so the going-home is finished before the main action: 「帰ったとき」, even in the future. 「帰るとき」 would mean on the way, still in Japan.
「＿、あの失敗があったからこそ今の自分がある。」 — which is the lead-in to an opinion?
💡 Hint: The form with no 'if' meaning.
「考えてみれば」 = come to think of it (a lead-in). たところで = no use even if, たら最後 = once … it's over, くらいなら = rather than — all of these carry a condition.
Which sentence says 'it did not actually happen'?
💡 Hint: 〜ていれば + past + のに.
「持っていれば … 済んだのに」 = if I'd had an umbrella I wouldn't have got wet (but I didn't, and I did) — 反実仮想. The others are a future guess, a real fact and a general rule.
Your score: /3