たら - if/when ~ (conditional)

〜たら

Meaning

The most flexible everyday conditional: if/when the first part happens, the second follows.

Explanation

Built from a verb, adjective, or noun's past-tense (た-form) plus ら, this is the broadest, most casual-friendly conditional in Japanese, usable for one-off hypotheticals, sequences of events, and everyday advice alike, unlike the more restricted と and narrower ば forms.

Formation

Verb/Adjective/Noun (た-form) + ら

Examples

雨が降ったら、家にいます。
あめがふったら、いえにいます。
If it rains, I'll stay home.
駅に着いたら、電話してください。
えきについたら、でんわしてください。
Please call me once you get to the station.

Grammar explanations and example sentences written for NihongoTech.