Lesson 11
Conditions (2)
- 1 〜ものなら ~mono nara if only one could (but can't) 'If only I could…' — a strong wish for something you know is impossible.
- 2 〜（よ）うものなら ~(y)ō mono nara if one dared to ~, (disaster) 'Do that even once, and…' — disaster always follows.
- 3 〜ないことには…ない ~nai koto ni wa …nai unless ~, nothing (can happen / is known) 'Until this is done, nothing moves' — always followed by a negative.
- 4 〜てこそ ~te koso only by ~ing / only once ~ 'Only by doing this, and only then' — 「使ってこそ上手になる」(only by using it do you get good).
- 5 〜ばこそ ~ba koso precisely because 'For exactly that reason' — 「あなたのことを思えばこそ」(precisely because I care about you).
- 6 〜ようでは ~yō de wa if things stay like this, (no good) 'If that's how it is, it won't do' — a condition with criticism in it.
- 7 〜となると ~to naru to when it comes to / if it turns out that 'If it really comes to that' — not a fantasy, something that may actually happen.
Lesson check
All 7 forms of this lesson together — pick the right one from its look-alikes, the way the exam does. 6/8 completes the lesson.
🔒
「帰れる＿、今すぐネパールに帰りたい。」— fill the blank.
💡 Hint:Potential form in front (帰れる), a wish (〜たい) after.
Potential + ものなら = 'if only I could' + a wish. となると cannot be followed by 〜たい; ようでは needs a negative judgement after it.
「私はお酒に弱いので、一口でも飲＿、顔が真っ赤になる。」— fill the blank.
💡 Hint:「一口でも」+ a bad result — which form?
Volitional + ものなら = do it even a little and disaster follows (goes with 一口でも). 飲めるものなら is a wish and needs 〜たい after it.
「書類がそろわ＿、ビザの申請はできません。」(immigration counter) — fill the blank.
💡 Hint:'Until this is done, nothing can proceed' — a precondition.
Vない + ことには…ない = unless/until X, nothing happens. ないようでは criticises a person's habit, not a document requirement.
「日本語は毎日＿、本当に上手になる。」— fill the blank.
💡 Hint:What follows is a positive result (上手になる).
Vて + こそ = only by doing this, followed by a good result. ないことには, ようでは and ようものなら all demand a negative clause after them.
Which sentence is unnatural?
💡 Hint:What kind of result must follow (よ)うものなら?
(よ)うものなら must be followed by a bad outcome (怒られる, クビになる); a good one like 合格できる is wrong. 休めるものなら + 休みたい (a wish) is fine.
「来月国に帰る＿、いろいろ準備が必要だ。」— which says 'if this really happens'?
💡 Hint:Not imaginary — a real possibility + the speaker's conclusion.
Plain form + となると = if it really comes to that, followed by 必要だ / なければならない. 帰るものなら is wrong — ものなら needs the potential (帰れる) plus a wish.
Which sentence is unnatural?
💡 Hint:What may not follow となると?
となると cannot be followed by a request (〜てください) or 〜ましょう — only a conclusion or guess. ばこそ + のです, てこそ + good result, ないことには + できない are all correct.
A junior is late every day. To warn 'if you keep this up you will not last here', which form?
💡 Hint:Criticism of the current state + a negative judgement.
Dictionary form + ようじゃ = if it stays like this, no good (criticism, fine towards a junior). 遅刻しようものなら means 'do it even once and disaster', not criticism of a habit.
Your score: /8