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> **Possible Duplicate:**  
>  [Differences among -たら、なら、-んだったら、-えば,
> etc.](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/393/differences-among-
> etc)

There are different ways to say "if" in Japanese. I want to concentrate on
these two verb endings which mean "if": たら and ば. What exactly are the
similarities and differences between these two? I have heard that in some
situations, you should be careful to use one and not the other. Which
situations are those? Are there some sentences where they are interchangeable
and the meaning doesn't change?
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question
verbs conjugations
The differences and similarities between ーたら and ーば
Yeah, these are not so easy as there is a complex set of conditions and
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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answer