In an [IMABI tutorial on
conditionals](https://www.imabi.net/theconditionals.htm), the なら conditional
is presented as something like a conditional topic marker:

> なら is called the contextual conditional because it is equivalent to "if you
> are talking about..., then...".

Later on, だったら is introduced as if it was a separate conditional:

> （の）だったら emphasizes a topic because of the condition of someone else.
>
> やりたくないんだったらやめてくれ。（Vulgar)
```

>     If you don't want to do it, stop!
>  
```

>
> お父さんだったら部屋にいるよ。
```

>      If you're talking about dad, he's in the room.
>  
```

But this seems pretty much identical to the -なら conditional presented above,
no? In both cases they are inheriting a topic from an external
speaker/context, and are saying something like "well, speaking of X, then...".

Moreover, I've read elsewhere that -なら comes from an older form of the copula,
meaning both of these conditionals are in some sense "copula conditionals".

**Overall Question:** Is there any difference in meaning between -なら and -だったら
conditionals? Do they both mean something like "well if you're talking
about..., then..."?

* * *

**EDIT:** A potential counter-example I found is

> もし私があなただったらすこし待つでしょう。
>
> If I were you, I'd wait a while.

Here だったら is being used in such a way that doesn't look like it's receiving a
topic from an external conversation/context. It seems wrong to translate (even
literally) as

> Well, _speaking_ of you, I'd wait a while.

no?
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-01-14T18:35:50.980
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2023-01-14T18:35:50.980
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question
conditionals
Do both -だったら and -なら conditionals act as "topic marking" conditionals?