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I was translating a text from my textbook and I can't understand the meaning
of なら in these two phrases.

>   1. メンバーを１人紹介するなら？
>   2. 逆にお兄さんに紹介するなら？
>

Can someone translate this for me, so I can understand it?
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2017-01-09T19:52:29.110
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2017-01-09T19:57:05.323
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question
grammar translation conditionals
What does なら mean in メンバーを１人紹介するなら？
In general **なら** means "if", but can sometimes be loosely translated to mean
"in the case that" when it is at the end of a sentence.

`メンバーを１人紹介するなら？`

_(What do you do/Who will you introduce) **in the case** that you are
introducing a member?_

`逆にお兄さんに紹介するなら？`

_(What do you do/Who will you introduce) **in the case** that you are instead
introducing him/her to your older brother?_

Note that in both of these sentences you could also just say "If you're
introducing one member?" "If you're introducing them to your brother?"

I don't really know the context of the sentences but なら in this case means "If
you are going to do" what proceeds before it

なら in general can mean "if" but it differs from ば and たら in that it isn't
purely conditional

`日本に行くなら横浜がいい`

_"If you're going to Japan you should go to Yokohama / Yokohama is good"_

More literally put, "If it is that you are going to Japan / In the case that
you're going to Japan, Yokohama is good"
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answer
In this case, なら means "if" or "in the case that". Here your sentences mean:

> メンバーを１人紹介するなら（誰を紹介しますか）？  
>  If you were going to introduce one member (...who would you introduce)?
>
> 逆にお兄さんに紹介するなら（誰を紹介しますか）？  
>  Conversely, if you were going introduce to your brother (...who would you
> introduce)?

Like a lot of Japanese sentences, it is incomplete and there is an implied
meaning that you are expected to read. Usually, the sentence structure V + なら？
indicates a repeat of the the verb along with a who/what/which.

> この中からゲームを一つ選ぶなら？  
>  If you were going to pick from one of these games (which one would it be)?
>
> 来週、一日だけ休めるなら？  
>  If you could only rest one day next week (what day would it be)?

Note that the structure only works with choices. I'm not a grammar expert, so
I can't say I'm 100% right about the way it goes, but at least the
translations should help. Also, from experience, this sentence structure isn't
common in conversation; you would be expected to complete the sentence. It's
more of a questionnaire question.
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2017-01-10T19:40:16.083
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answer