～ば

How to form it

• Verb (ば-form): Group 1 -u → -eba (行く→行けば), Group 2 -ru → -reba (食べる→食べれば), する→すれば, 来る→来れば
• い-adjective: ～ければ (いい → よければ)
• Negative: ～なければ
• Noun / な-adjective: ～ならば / ～であれば (～なら is also common, but it is a separate pattern)

Register: Neutral

Explanation

States a condition under which something follows.

It is used for a general or logical condition. When both clauses have the same subject, ～ば is generally avoided if the main clause expresses the speaker's will, request or command; ～たら is often more natural there.

Examples

1. 急げば、間に合います。

   いそげば、まにあいます。

   If you hurry, you'll be in time.

2. 安ければ、買います。

   やすければ、かいます。

   If it's cheap, I'll buy it.

3. 春になれば、暖かくなる。

   はるになれば、あたたかくなる。

   When spring comes, it gets warm.

4. よく読めば、分かるはずだ。

   よくよめば、わかるはずだ。

   If you read it carefully, you should understand.

Compare with

• ～たら: ～たら also covers a one-time event after which something follows.
• ～なら: ～なら takes the listener's statement as a premise.
• ～と（条件）: ～と is a natural or automatic result.

Common mistakes

• Using ～ば for a past fact; it is a hypothetical condition.
• Using ～ば with the speaker's own will or command when both clauses share a subject (行けば買います); ～たら is usually more natural. With different subjects or a state, a request such as 安ければ買ってください is possible.