The たら-form

Take the plain past (た-form) of any verb and add ら. Because it rides on the た-form, it works for every verb with no new rules to learn.

Verb Plain past たら-form
食たべる 食たべた 食たべたら
飲のむ 飲のんだ 飲のんだら
行いく 行いった 行いったら
する した したら
来くる 来きた 来きたら

The ば-form: Ichidan (Group 2)

Drop the final る and add れば.

Rule Examples
る → れば 食たべる → 食たべれば, 見みる → 見みれば

The ば-form: Godan (Group 1)

Change the final -u syllable to its -e counterpart, then add ば (the 4th stem + ば).

Dictionary ending Becomes Example
く けば 書かく → 書かけば
ぐ げば 泳およぐ → 泳およげば
す せば 話はなす → 話はなせば
つ てば 待まつ → 待まてば
ぬ ねば 死しぬ → 死しねば
ぶ べば 遊あそぶ → 遊あそべば
む めば 飲のむ → 飲のめば
る れば 取とる → 取とれば
う えば 買かう → 買かえば


The negative also has a ば-form, since ない conjugates like an い-adjective: ～ない → ～なければ (行いかなければ, “if (one) doesn’t go”). い-adjectives work the same way: 安やすい → 安やすければ.

The ば-form: Irregular (Group 3)

Verb ば-form
する すれば
来くる 来くれば

ば vs たら vs と vs なら

All four can translate as “if”, but they are used differently. Here is the quick guide:

Form Feel Typical use
ば general / hypothetical conditions and general truths: 押おせば開あく (if you push, it opens)
たら “if / when” - very general the everyday all-purpose conditional, also “when X happened”: 家いえに帰かえったら電話でんわする (I’ll call when I get home)
と automatic, inevitable result natural consequences: 春はるになると暖あたたかくなる (when spring comes, it gets warm)
なら “if it’s the case that…” reacting to what someone said / a topic: 日本にほんに行いくなら、京都きょうとがいい (if you’re going to Japan, Kyoto is good)


When you are unsure which to use, たら is the safest, most flexible choice in conversation.


Want verbs to practice on? Try the common Godan verb lists and the 100 common Ichidan verbs.