99553
The sentence

> 小説を始め、本なら何でも読みます

is taken from a grammar point in [Bunpro](https://bunpro.jp/) and is
translated as:

> Starting with short novels, I read all kinds of books.

I understand that なら commonly appears in conditional sentences and means "if"
or "in the case/if it's the case". But neither seems to make much sense here.

Is this a typo and they meant to use など？
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-05-07T21:14:25.573
99552
2023-05-08T02:10:08.853
48332
question
grammar conditionals
Purpose of なら in 小説を始め、本なら何でも読みます
This なら _is_ conditional ("if" or "as long as"). Read 本なら何でも読みます as "as long
as it's a book, I read it".

`～なら + なん/だれ/どこ + でも` is a common pattern meaning "anything/anyone called a ～"
or "anything that is ～".

  * 紙ならなんでもいいから持ってきて。  
Any paper will do, bring it.

  * 静かな場所ならどこでもいいです。  
As long as it's a quiet place, wherever is fine. / Any quiet place is fine.

  * 大学生なら誰でもわかる問題ではありません。  
This is not a problem that any college student can understand.

本 **など** 何でも ("everything such as books") makes little sense in this context.
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-05-08T02:10:08.853
99553
2023-05-08T02:10:08.853
5010
99552
answer