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Minna no Nihongo, lesson 25

Lesson 25:

Lesson 25 of Minna no Nihongo, “If, even if, and saying goodbye”, teaches 6 grammar patterns, including , , , and 17 words. Here is every word with romaji and English, the grammar explained with examples, and 44 example sentences.

Updated

Grammar

If …

Add ら to the plain past to say "if": あめが ふったら (if it rains), やすかったら (if it's cheap), ひまだったら (if you're free), こなかったら (if he doesn't come). The rest of the sentence says what happens then, and it can be a wish, a request or an invitation, which 〜と (lesson 23) can't be. もし at the start makes it clear that it's only a supposition.

  • Ashita ame ga futtara, uchi ni imasu. If it rains tomorrow, I'll stay at home.
  • Hima dattara, tetsudatte kudasai. If you're free, please give me a hand.
  • Moshi ichiokuen ga attara, nani o shitai desu ka. If you had a hundred million yen, what would you like to do?

When, once …

When the first thing is sure to happen, 〜たら means "when" or "once": うちへ かえったら、すぐ シャワーを あびます (when I get home, I shower straight away). The second thing comes after the first.

  • Uchi e kaettara, sugu shawaa o abimasu. When I get home, I have a shower straight away.
  • Juuji ni nattara, dekakemashou. When it gets to ten, let's go out.
  • Eki ni tsuitara, denwashite kudasai. When you get to the station, please phone me.

Even if …

も after a て-form means "even if": あめが ふっても、でかけます (even if it rains, I'll go out). An い-adjective takes くても (やすくても), a noun or a な-adjective でも (にちようびでも, ひまでも). The negative is 〜なくても: わからなくても (even if you don't understand). Without いいです after it, this も is "even if", not permission.

  • Ame ga futte mo, dekakemasu. Even if it rains, I'll go out.
  • Takakute mo, kono kamera ga hoshii desu. I want this camera, even if it's expensive.
  • Nichiyoubi demo hatarakimasu. I work even on Sundays.

If, and however much

もし goes with 〜たら and says from the start that a supposition follows. いくら goes with 〜ても and means "however (much)": いくら かんがえても、わかりません (however much I think about it, I don't understand).

  • Moshi ichiokuen ga attara, nani o shitai desu ka. If you had a hundred million yen, what would you like to do?
  • Ikura kangaete mo, wakarimasen. However much I think about it, I don't understand.
  • Ikura takakute mo, kaimasu. I'll buy it however expensive it is.

Choosing between たら, と and ても

〜と (lesson 23) is for what always follows: このボタンを おすと、おつりが でます. 〜たら covers "if" and "when" in general and can end with a wish or a request: やすかったら、かいたいです. 〜ても turns it round: what follows happens anyway (やすくても、かいません).

  • Yasukattara, kaimasu. If it's cheap, I'll buy it.
  • Yasukute mo, irimasen. I don't need it, even if it's cheap.
  • Dou shitara ii desu ka. What should I do?

Saying goodbye

When you leave a job, a town or a host family, thank people with いろいろ おせわに なりました (thank you for everything). The others answer どうぞ おげんきで (take care) and often がんばって ください (all the best, do your best). The reply to がんばって is はい、がんばります.

  • Iroiro osewani narimashita. Thank you for everything.
  • Douzo ogenkide. Take care. All the best.
  • Hai, ganbarimasu. Thanks, I'll do my best.

Vocabulary: 17 words

Verbs

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
kangaemasu think about, considerFor thinking something through: もう すこし かんがえます (I'll think about it a bit more). For an opinion, it's おもいます.
tsukimasu arriveWhere you arrive takes に: えきに つきます. Plain forms: つく, つかない, ついた.
toshi o torimasu grow old, get older
tarimasu be enoughA group II verb: たりる, たりない. おかねが たりません (I haven't got enough money).
ganbarimasu do your best, keep at itがんばって ください (good luck, do your best).

Places and things

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
inaka the countryside; your home town
taishikan embassy
guruupu group
chansu chance, opportunity
oku a hundred millionいちおく (100,000,000) is ten thousand まん.
tenkin transfer (to another office or town)てんきんします (be transferred).
betonamu Vietnam

Phrases and other words

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
moshi if (with 〜たら)Says from the start that what follows is a supposition: もし いちおくえんが あったら… (if I had a hundred million yen…).
ikura however (much) (with 〜ても)いくら かんがえても、わかりません (however much I think about it, I don't understand). Also "how much" (lesson 3).
iroiro osewani narimashita Thank you for everything (you've done for me).Said when you leave a job, a town or a host family.
douzo ogenkide Take care. All the best. (when parting for a long time)
ippai nomimashou Let's have a drink.

Example sentences

  • Okane ga attara, ryokou ni ikimasu. If I have the money, I'll go travelling.
  • Jikan ga nakattara, takushii de ikimasu. If there isn't time, I'll take a taxi.
  • Ashita ame ga futtara, uchi ni imasu. If it rains tomorrow, I'll stay at home.
  • Yasukattara, kaimasu. If it's cheap, I'll buy it.
  • Hima dattara, tetsudatte kudasai. If you're free, please give me a hand.
  • Ii tenki dattara, kouen e ikimashou. If the weather's nice, let's go to the park.
  • Miraa-san ga konakattara, denwashite kudasai. If Mr. Miller doesn't come, please phone him.
  • Okane ga tarinakattara, kashite agemasu. If you haven't got enough money, I'll lend you some.
  • Moshi ichiokuen ga attara, nani o shitai desu ka. If you had a hundred million yen, what would you like to do?
  • Sekai no iroiro na kuni e ikitai desu. I'd like to go to lots of different countries.
  • Kono uchi wa ichiokuen desu. This house costs a hundred million yen.
  • Uchi e kaettara, sugu shawaa o abimasu. When I get home, I have a shower straight away.
  • Juuji ni nattara, dekakemashou. When it gets to ten, let's go out.
  • Eki ni tsuitara, denwashite kudasai. When you get to the station, please phone me.
  • Kaigi ga owattara, ippai nomimashou. When the meeting's over, let's have a drink.
  • Dou shitara ii desu ka. What should I do?
  • Ame ga futte mo, dekakemasu. Even if it rains, I'll go out.
  • Takakute mo, kono kamera ga hoshii desu. I want this camera, even if it's expensive.
  • Yasukute mo, irimasen. I don't need it, even if it's cheap.
  • Nichiyoubi demo hatarakimasu. I work even on Sundays.
  • Hima demo, terebi wa mimasen. Even when I'm free, I don't watch TV.
  • Wakaranakute mo, shinpaishinaide kudasai. Don't worry if you don't understand.
  • Ikura kangaete mo, wakarimasen. However much I think about it, I don't understand.
  • Ikura takakute mo, kaimasu. I'll buy it however expensive it is.
  • Toshi o totte mo, genki de itai desu. Even when I'm old, I want to stay healthy.
  • Mou sukoshi kangaemasu. I'll think about it a bit more.
  • Yoku kangaete kudasai. Please think it over carefully.
  • Kuji ni eki ni tsukimashita. I arrived at the station at nine.
  • Chichi mo toshi o torimashita. My father has got older too.
  • Okane ga tarimasen. I haven't got enough money.
  • Isu wa tarimasu ka. Are there enough chairs?
  • Iie, futatsu tarimasen. No, we're two short.
  • Ashita no shiken, ganbatte kudasai. Good luck with tomorrow's exam.
  • Hai, ganbarimasu. Thanks, I'll do my best.
  • Chichi no inaka wa hokkaidou desu. My father comes from Hokkaido.
  • Itsuka inaka ni sumitai desu. Some day I'd like to live in the countryside.
  • Taishikan e biza o morai ni ikimasu. I'm going to the embassy to get a visa.
  • Guruupu de ryokou o shimasu. We're travelling as a group.
  • Ii chansu desu kara, ganbatte kudasai. It's a good chance, so do your best.
  • Miraa-san wa raigetsu toukyou e tenkinshimasu. Mr. Miller is being transferred to Tokyo next month.
  • Iroiro osewani narimashita. Thank you for everything.
  • Douzo ogenkide. Take care. All the best.
  • Kondo ippai nomimashou. Let's have a drink some time.
  • Betonamu e itta koto ga arimasu ka. Have you ever been to Vietnam?

Conversations to practise

In the app you play one of the speakers and choose what to say, line by line, with natural Japanese voices.

  • Thank you for everythingYou're being transferred to Tokyo. At your farewell party, Mr. Matsumoto comes to talk to you.
  • If it rainsKarina invites you to climb a mountain on Sunday.
  • However expensiveIn a camera shop, Mr. Santos asks what you think of a camera.

Practise lesson 25

Flashcards, spelling with kana tiles, sentence building and conversations. Free to start: lessons 1 and 2 need no sign-up, 3 to 5 a free account, and lesson 6 onwards Premium.

Start lesson 25