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The Japanese language has a lot of patterns for "if" clauses. What are the
differences among the following patterns and how do we choose to use one over
the others?:

  * 行くと
  * 行ったら
  * 行くなら
  * 行けば
  * 行くんだったら
  * 行くのなら
  * 行くとしたら
  * 行くことになったら
  * 行くならば

p/s: Please add any other additional "if" patterns
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grammar conjugations suffixes conditionals
Differences among -たら, なら, -と, -んだったら, -ば, etc
I would translate those as

>   * 行ったら - If you went (there), ...
>
>   * 行くなら - If you going to go (there), ...
>
>   * 行けば - If you go (there), (you will) ....
>
>   * 行くんだったら - If you are about to go (there), ...
>
>   * 行くのなら - If you (have plan/are thinking) to go (there), ...
>
>   * 行くとしたら - (Let's say) if you go (there), ...
>
>   * 行くことになったら - If you have to go (there), (what will you) ...
>
>
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* 行ったら - "if you (happen to) go" (simple possibility)
  * 行くなら - "if you're going _(anyway)_ " (often in the sense of _while you're at it_ )
  * 行けば - "if you('d) go" (emphasis on the condition that must be fulfilled before something happens)
  * 行くと - "when you go" ( _"…you'll find that…"_ , focuses on what happens when the condition is fulfilled)
  * 行くんだったら - "if you're about to go" (similar to 行くなら, but more immediate, possibly implying a catch)
  * 行くとしたら - "suppose you were going" (hypothetical)
  * 行くことになったら - "if it came to you going" ( _if the situation progressed to the point where..._ )

行くのなら can have a few difficult shades of meaning that I'm honestly having
trouble summarizing in one phrase:

  * ただ、面白いブログを書くために、人のブログを読むのなら今日から出来る  
"However, if you're going to read people's blogs in order to write an
interesting blog, you can do that right away."

  * 来たいのなら私達と一緒にきても良いです。  
"You may come with us if you want to."

  * 万一彼が忙しいのなら、手伝いなさい。  
"If he should be busy, help him."

  * 僕のいうことを信じないのなら、自分で行ってみてごらん。  
"If you don't believe me, go and see it for yourself."

Perhaps _"in case"_ is the best English equivalent. 〜のなら is not usually used
in speech, more in writing.

_(Examples from the[WWWJDIC](http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~jwb/cgi-
bin/wwwjdic.cgi?10))_
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**行ったら** is conditional form but it implies that the condition will not
necessarily happen:

アメリカへ行ったら、わかるはずだ。

If you went to ... you would know that...

まずトイレに行ったら？ (or to give an advice) What about you go to the bathroom first?

Its polite form:

**行けば**

**行くなら** is conditional and implies that the condition will happen: if or
since

アメリカに行くなら、ipadをもって帰って。

Since you're going to America bring me back an ipad.

**行くんだったら**

Is composed of: 行く の です + conditional form seen above.

**行くのなら**

Is composed of: 行く の です + conditional form seen above and it becomes 行くのなら,
not 行くのですなら

**行くとしたら 行くとすれば**

Based on the above 2 conditional forms it adds another way to express a
condition: ～とする

adding a layer of condition, insisting on the condition. (～とする is a simple
condition that can be combined with others to emphasize the if)

明日行くとして、いいんですか？

Assume we go tomorrow, is it ok?

明日行くとしたら、いい？

If we suppose we go tomorrow, is that ok?

**行くことになったら**

As opposed to the other expressions above, ～ことになる is not a condition.

It means, Verb becomes a reality

行くことになる

It happens I will go

行くことになったら...etc

If it happened I go there...etc
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_I liked the practical nature of the other answers, here's a more precise
explanation I posted under a dupe thread._

Yeah, these are not so easy as there is a complex set of circumstances where
you can use one over the other. I'll try to cover the most common usages and
differences.

~ば is used in the case of a consistent relationship of cause and effect.

For example:

**合格すれば、卒業が出来ます** (goukaku sureba, sotsu gyou ga dekimasu) If I pass I can
graduate.

**雨が降れば、試合が中止になります** (ame ga fureba, shiai ga chuushi ni narimasu) If it rains
the match will be cancelled.

It can also be used for hypothetical statements, such as
**明日もし雨が降れば、テレビを見ましょうか？** (moshi ame ga fureba, tereba wo mimashouka?) If it
rains tomorrow, shall we watch tv?

It should generally not be followed by an expression of a wish, desire or
command, and never by an action that has completed.

On the other hand, ~たら is usually used to indicate a particular condition
being satisfied and it CAN be followed by an expression indicating a wish,
desire or command, or followed by an action that has completed.

For example:

**パチスロに着いたら電話ちょうだい** (pachisuro ni tsuitara denwa choudai) Please give me a
call when you get to Pacinko!

Or used with a completed action: **焼酎の瓶を飲んだら、歩けなくなった** (shouchuu no bin wo
nondara, arukenaku natta) I was unable to walk after drinking the bottle of
shochu.

Or like ~ば it can be followed by a hypothetical statement:
**明日もし雨が降ったら、テレビを見ましょうか？** (moshi ame ga futtara, tereba wo mimashouka?) If it
rains tomorrow, shall we watch tv?

Just to boggle us further, there is ~と (more similar to ~ば) and ~なら which is a
long conversation all by itself.
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## と, ば

The main clause must be a constant non-volitional reaction to the conditional
clause unless the conditional clause shows state or if the subjects of the two
clauses differ.

> お金を入れてボタンを押すと、切符が出ます。  
>  'When you put in money and press the button, a ticket will come out.'

> 春になると、観光客が増えます。  
>  'When spring arrives, tourists increase.'

> 早く行かないと、遅刻します。  
>  'If you don't leave soon, you'll be late.'

> × お家に帰ると、連絡してください。  
>  お家に帰ったら、連絡してください。  
>  'Please contact me once you return home.'

> × パリに行くと、凱旋門【がいせんもん】にも行ってみたい。  
>  パリに行ったら、凱旋門にも行ってみたい。  
>  'When I go to Paris, I'd like to see the Arc de Triomphe.'

> × 帰宅すれば、必ずお風呂に入りなさい。  
>  帰宅したら、必ずお風呂に入りなさい。  
>  'When you get home, be absolutely sure to take a bath.'

> わからないことがあったら、いつでも聞いてください。  
>  わからないことがあれば、いつでも聞いてください。  
>  'If there's something you don't understand, ask me anytime.'

> 父が許してくれれば、彼と結婚するつもりです。  
>  'If my father lets me, I intend to marry him.'

## と

The conditional clause must be non-past.

> × 窓を開けたと、冷たい風が入ってきた。  
>  窓を開けると、冷たい風が入ってきた。  
>  'When I opened the window, a cool breeze came in.'

> × デパートに行ったと、チョコレートが山積みになっていた。  
>  デパートに行くと、チョコレートが山積みになっていた。  
>  'When I went to the department store, I found mountains of chocolate piled
> up.'

## ～ば

  1. The condition must have not happened yet.

> 明日もし雨が降れば、どうしますか。  
>  明日もし雨が降ったら、どうしますか。  
>  × 明日もし雨が降ると、どうしますか。  
>  'If it rains tomorrow, what should we do?'

> × 注射を打ってもらえば、すぐ直りました。  
>  注射を打ってもらったら、すぐ直りました。  
>  'When I had the injection, I got better right away.'

  2. ～ば is the most common conditional when the emphasis is on what is required to bring about a _desired_ result. Thus, use ～ば when the focus of the sentence is on the conditional clause:

> どうすれば、東大に入学できますか。  
>  What should I do to get into Tokyo University?

Consequently, when the succeeding clause describes an undesirable result, ～ば
sounds unnatural:

> ？ 徹夜すれば、体調が悪くなります。

> Instead: 徹夜すると、体調が悪くなります。  
>  If you stay up all night, you'll damage your health. (～たら is also OK)

But when the preceding clause uses さえ to show the minimal criteria needed to
achieve a result, ～ば is your only option:

> お金さえ払えば、だれでも入会できる。  
>  So long as they pay, anyone can join. (Neither ～たら nor ～と work here.)

  3. Use when talking about what _would_ happen if something (which is not actually true) were true:

> あと1000円あれば、このコートを買えるのに。  
>  If I had 1,000 yen more, I could buy this coat.

> あのとき右に曲がれば、どうなっただろう。  
>  If I had turned right back then, I wonder what would have happened.

Note that the tense of the following clause shows whether you're speculating
on the past or non-past, and that past-tense verbs are allowed in this case.

## ～たら

  1. Use when expressing a one-off (as opposed to constant or general) dependency. _Like_ ～ば, this can be used when it is unknown whether the preceding clause will come true:

> 雨が降ったら、試合は中止です。  
>  If it rains, the game will be called off. (～ば is also OK)

_Unlike_ ～ば, ～たら can be used when it is a known fact that the preceding clause
will come true:

> 午後になったら、散歩に行きましょう。  
>  In the afternoon ("When it becomes the afternoon"), let's go for a walk.
> (～ば is not OK)

  2. Use when the following clause shows intent, desire, or is a command/request:

> 食事ができたら、呼んでください。  
>  When the food's ready, call me. (～ば is not OK unless the sentence is one of
> the exceptional cases mentioned above)

  3. Use like ～と to show a sequential, cause-and-effect relationship between the two clauses:

> 田中さんにメールを送ったら、すぐ返事が来ました。  
>  When I texted Ms. Tanaka, I got a reply right away. (～と is also OK, but not
> ～ば)

  4. ～たら can also take the polite form (along with ～と), but this is usually heard only in formal settings:

> ご感想がございましたら、ぜひお寄せ下さい。  
>  If you have any feedback, please send it to us.

## ～なら

  1. Use when you are drawing out a conclusion based on the first clause:

> A: スーパーに行ってくるよ。  
>  I'm going to the supermarket.
>
> B: スーパーに行くのなら、しょうゆを買ってきて。  
>  If you're going to the supermarket, bring back some soy sauce.

> 大学院に進むなら、この本を読みなさい。  
>  If you're going to go to graduate school, read this book.

  2. Use when you need the freedom to have the succeeding clause happen before the preceding clause. This is something ～と, ～ば, and ～たら _cannot do_ :

> 旅行に行ったのなら、写真を見せてください。  
>  If you went on vacation, please show me your photos. (A→B)

> 旅行に行くのなら、カメラを持っていくといいですよ。  
>  If you're going on vacation, you should take a camera. (B→A)

> 飲んだら、乗るな。乗るなら、飲むな。  
>  If you've had a drink, don't drive. (A→B) If you're going to drive, don't
> drink. (B→A)

Do note that the rule of drawing out a conclusion based on the first clause
still applies in these examples.

  3. Alternate forms:

  * なら will sometimes have a の or ん in front of it; the meaning does not change.
  * In speech, のなら sometimes becomes のだったら (or んだったら), again with no change in meaning.
  * I believe ならば is a more formal, written version of なら, but I don't have a solid reference on this.

## ～としたら

This is one of many forms of ～とする. The ～とする form is used when setting up a
supposition as the basis for succeeding statements:

> 有名人にばったり会うとしたら、どうする？  
>  Supposing you happen to meet someone famous, what would you do?

> 新しい車を買ったとしても、それで幸せにはならないと思う。  
>  Even supposing I were to buy a new car, I don't think that would make me
> happy.

> じゃあ、犯人はこの部屋に入ったとしよう。目的はなんだったんだろうね。  
>  So let's suppose the criminal entered this room. What do you imagine he was
> after?

## ～ことになったら

This is a combination of the ～ことになる form ("end up", "turn out to") and the ～たら
conditional:

> 結婚することになったら、結婚式で歌っていただけませんか。  
>  If it so happens that I get married, would you please sing for me at the
> wedding?

> 海外に行くことになったら、手紙を毎週書いて送るよ。  
>  If I end up going overseas, I'll write you every week.

## Variances among dialects

As if this wasn't complicated enough, a study done in 1989 by Shinji Sanada
showed that Tokyo speakers and Osaka speakers sometimes differ greatly in
their use of conditionals. A few examples:

> もっと早く｛起きると／起きれば／起きたら｝よかった。  
>  I should have woken up earlier.

  * Tokyo: 4% と; **94% ば** ; 2% たら
  * Osaka: 0% と; 20% ば; **78% たら**

> 右に｛行くと／行けば／行ったら｝、ポストが見えます。  
>  If you turn right, you can see a mailbox.

  * Tokyo: **75% と** ; 16% ば; 8% たら
  * Osaka: 4% と; 13% ば; **83% たら**

* * *

Source for ～と, ～ば, ～たら, ～なら, and dialectical variance study:
[初級を教える人のための日本語文法ハンドブック
(2000)](https://www.amazon.co.jp/%E5%88%9D%E7%B4%9A%E3%82%92%E6%95%99%E3%81%88%E3%82%8B%E4%BA%BA%E3%81%AE%E3%81%9F%E3%82%81%E3%81%AE%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E8%AA%9E%E6%96%87%E6%B3%95%E3%83%8F%E3%83%B3%E3%83%89%E3%83%96%E3%83%83%E3%82%AF-%E5%BA%B5-%E5%8A%9F%E9%9B%84/dp/4883191559)

Source for ～としたら and ～ことになったら: personal experience
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１：仮定（かてい）２：結果 ３：習慣（しゅうかん） ４：以外（いがい）５：未来（みらい）

１＝たら、ば、なら。In this case But と **使えません**  
２＝たら、と、ば。In this case But なら **使えません**  
３＝たら、と だけ 使える。  
４＝たら、と だけ 使える。  
５＝たら だけ 使える。

とおもいます。Hope this help you out.
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