94449
> I want to eat, but **if I do** , I'll get fat.

My attempt at a translation:食べたいけど **それをすると** 太る.

I expect this is totally unnatural. Even if it is okay I fear that adding それを
may make it sound quite formal, but leaving it out just seems totally weird.

Is there a natural way to express this "if I do" part that doesn't repeat the
previous verb? If not, is it natural in Japanese to just repeat the verb? This
would be a bit clumsy in English.
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-09T18:31:38.973
94444
2022-05-10T00:56:47.827
7944
question
grammar verbs
Can する substitute a previously used verb?
Using それをすると is not incorrect, just weird. However, what する doing here is
**not** substituting the verb, but doing the same as in「家事をする」or「掃除をする」-
performing the action that is interpreted as a noun (Sorry there might be a
better way to explain in English; I'm doing my best)

The actual substitution happens at それ, which works as a noun "the action of
eating", we just usually shorten it since it's apparent what we're meaning.

To conclude,  
食べたいけどそれをすると太る - the full sentence  
食べたいけどすると太る - omitting the noun  
食べたいけど太る - even this is okay
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-09T19:29:42.237
94447
2022-05-09T19:55:15.947
2022-05-09T19:55:15.947
42141
42141
94444
answer
As you suspected, it's best to repeat the verb.

> 食べたいけど食べると太る。

Unlike English that requires you to say "I" twice, Japanese allows you to omit
everything other than the verb itself. IMO the Japanese way is not that
inefficient.

That said, saying それをすると is not bad, either. It sounds a bit stiff, but it's
not unnatural as long as it's said by a mature adult. Note that you cannot
drop それを when the substituted verb is a godan/ichidan verb. You can drop それを
when the original verb is a suru-verb.

Technically, this "do" is a pro-verb (代動詞). Related: [“But when I
do..”](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/84597/5010)
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-10T00:56:47.827
94449
2022-05-10T00:56:47.827
5010
94444
answer