Meaning & Usage
✨ Basic Meaning
‘If,’ ‘Assuming,’ or ‘Supposing.’
🎯 Primary Function
To set up a hypothetical condition or a premise for the purpose of discussion or logical conclusion.
📋 Grammar Structure
Verb (Plain Form) / Noun + だ + としたら / とすれば / とすると
i-adjective (Plain Form) + としたら / とすれば / とすると
na-adjective + だ + としたら / とすれば / とすると
Verb (Nai-form) + としたら / とすれば / とすると
🎭 Usage Contexts
Formal Situations
‘To sureba’ is slightly more formal and logical, often used in business or academic discussions.
Informal Situations
‘To shitara’ is the most common in daily conversation for hypotheticals.
Written Language
Common in essays, reports, and news to explore possibilities.
Spoken Language
All three are used, but ‘To suruto’ often appears when reacting to someone else’s statement.
💡 Common Applications
Pure Hypotheticals
Used to imagine situations that are unlikely or purely imaginary.
Example: もし宝くじが当たったとしたら… (If I were to win the lottery…)
Logical Deduction
Used to draw a conclusion based on a premise or information provided by someone else.
Example: 彼の話が本当だとすると… (If we assume his story is true, then…)
Planning and Calculation
Used when making plans or estimating results based on a specific condition.
Example: 明日出発するとすれば… (If we assume we depart tomorrow…)
Frequency
Common in both spoken and written Japanese, especially in debates or planning.
Difficulty
N3 (Intermediate)
Tag:
Example Sentences
Example #1
宝くじで1億円当たったとしたら、何をしますか。
Furigana: たからくじでいちおくえんあたったとしたら、なにをしますか。
Romaji: Takarakuji de ichioku-en atatta to shitara, nani o shimasu ka?
English: If you were to win 100 million yen in the lottery, what would you do?
Example #2
彼の話が本当だとすれば、まだ一つ謎が残っています。
Furigana: かれのはなしがほんとうだとすれば、まだひとつなぞがのこっています。
Romaji: Kare no hanashi ga hontou da to sureba, mada hitotsu nazo ga nokotte imasu.
English: If we assume his story is true, there is still one mystery remaining.
Example #3
8時に出発するとすると、10時ごろに目的地に着きます。
Furigana: はちじにしゅっぱつするとすると、じゅうじごろにもくてきちにつきます。
Romaji: Hachi-ji ni shuppatsu suru to suruto, juu-ji goro ni mokutekichi ni tsukimasu.
English: If you leave at 8:00, you will arrive at the destination around 10:00.
Example #4
留学するとしたら、イギリスに行きたいです。
Furigana: りゅうがくするとしたら、イギリスにいきたいです。
Romaji: Ryuugaku suru to shitara, Igirisu ni ikitai desu.
English: If I were to go study abroad, I would want to go to the UK.
Example #5
このツールが使えないとすれば、プロジェクトは大幅に遅れます。
Furigana: このつーるがつかえないとすれば、ぷろじぇくとはおおかばにおくれます。
Romaji: Kono tsuuru ga tsukaenai to sureba, purojekuto wa oohaba ni okuremasu.
English: If we can’t use this tool, the project will be delayed significantly.
Example #6
彼の言うことが正しいとすると、間違っていたのは私の方だ。
Furigana: かれのいうことがただしいとすると、まちがっていたのはわたしのほうだ。
Romaji: Kare no iu koto ga tadashii to suruto, machigatte ita no wa watashi no hou da.
English: If what he says is correct, then I was the one who was wrong.
Example #7
家を探すとしたら、駅に近い方がいいですよね。
Furigana: いえをさがすとしたら、えきにちかいほうがいいですよね。
Romaji: Ie o sagasu to shitara, eki ni chikai hou ga ii desu yo ne.
English: If you are looking for a house, a place near the station would be best, wouldn’t it?
Example #8
これが最終的な値段だとすれば、購入を検討したいです。
Furigana: これがさいしゅうてきなねだんだとすれば、こうにゅうをけんとうしたいです。
Romaji: Kore ga saishuuteki na nedan da to sureba, kounyuu o kentou shitai desu.
English: If this is the final price, I’d like to consider purchasing it.
Example #9
ここから歩いて行くとすると、30分くらいかかるだろう。
Furigana: ここからあるいていくとすると、さんじゅっぷんくらいかかるだろう。
Romaji: Koko kara aruite iku to suruto, sanjuppun kurai kakaru darou.
English: If we walk from here, it will probably take about 30 minutes.
Example #10
生まれ変わるとしたら、男と女、どちらがいいですか。
Furigana: うまれかわるとしたら、おとことおんな、どちらがいいですか。
Romaji: Umarekawaru to shitara, otoko to onna, dochira ga ii desu ka?
English: If you were to be reborn, would you want to be a man or a woman?
Notes & Nuances
📌 Important Points
Nuance of ‘To shitara’
‘To shitara’ is the strongest for ‘pure’ hypotheticals (even if the chance is low).
Example: もし明日雨だとしたら、中止です。
Nuance of ‘To suruto’
‘To suruto’ is often used to respond to new information and draw an immediate conclusion.
Example: A: 彼は来ないそうです。 B: だとすると、中止ですね。
Nuance of ‘To sureba’
‘To sureba’ focuses more on the logical result of the assumption.
Example: 一人1000円だとすれば、全部で一万円だ。
⚠️ Common Mistakes
❌ 春になるとすると、花が咲く。
✅ 春になると、花が咲く。 (Natural law)
These grammar points are for hypotheticals or assumptions, not for natural laws or inevitable consequences.
🏛️ Cultural Context
Politeness Level: Neutral to Formal. They are appropriate for most social situations.
Social Situations: Used frequently when discussing ‘what if’ scenarios or analyzing data.
Regional Variations: Standard across Japan.
🔍 Subtle Differences
~たら vs. としたら
‘~tara’ is a general conditional. ‘To shitara’ emphasizes the act of assuming a scenario.
When to use: Use ‘To shitara’ when you want to emphasize the ‘Suppose/Imagine’ aspect.
とすれば vs. とすると
‘To sureba’ is more analytical/logical. ‘To suruto’ sounds more like a natural consequence or reaction.
When to use: Use ‘To sureba’ for formal planning and ‘To suruto’ for reacting to news.
📝 Conjugation Notes
Nouns and Na-adjectives must be followed by ‘da’ before adding the conditional phrase. Verbs and I-adjectives use their plain forms.
🔊 Pronunciation Tips
Maintain a steady pitch. In ‘To suruto,’ there is often a slight pause after ‘to’ when used as a sentence starter (Da to suruto…).
🧠 Memory Tips
Think of ‘To’ as the quote marker and ‘Sureba/Shitara/Suruto’ as variations of ‘to do’ in conditional forms. You are literally saying ‘If we do (assume) it as [X]…’
Other Grammar
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