Tara

meaning: if, when, after

Related: ba, nara, to, toki

Formation

(subordinate: Yamada-san ga kita)-ra watashi wa kaeru

Examples

1) Sensei ni kiitara sugu wakatta (When I asked my teacher, I understood it right away)

2) Watashi wa daigaku o deta-ra shoogakoo no sensei ni narimasu (I will be an elementary school teacher after graduating from college)

3) Watashi wa isogashii desu kara, omoshirokatta-ra yomimasu ga, omoshirokunakatta-ra yomimasen yo

(Because I am busy, I will read it if its interesting, but I will not read it if it is not interesting)

4) kirai datta-ra nokoshite kudasai (If you dont like it, please leave it)

5) Eigo datta-ra wakaru to omoimasu (I think I will understand it if its in english)

Notes

S1 tara S2

S1 is always antecedent and S2 subsequence

Wrong:

1) Watashi wa Chicago e itta-ra taitei kuruma de ikimasu

(In this case toki is used)

2) Chicago e itta-ra basu de ikinasai

(In this case nara should be used)

In S1 tara S2, S1 often represents a condition and S2 an event which occurs under that condition.

So whole sentence basically means that "When S1 is satisfied, S2 takes places" or S1 brings about S2.

Notes

Tara may means "when" in once case and "if" in another.

Tara means "when" if S1 is certainty, else it means "if"

So

1) Juuniji ni nattara kaerimasu

("WHEN" (Not "IF") it is 12 o'clock, I will go home)

Moshi before S1 Tara makes sentence unambiguous; It always means "if S1"

2) Moshi Yamada-san ga kita-ra watashi wa kaerimasu

("IF" yamada-san comes, I will go home)

Notes

S1 tara S2 can be a command, a request, a suggestion, invitation or a volitional sentence

Shigoto ga hayaku owatta-ra boku no uchi ni -

a) kinasai (Come to my place)

b) kite-kudasai (Please come to my place)

c) kita-ra doo desu ka (Why dont you come to my place)

d) kimasen ka (wouldnt you like to come to my place)

Shigoto ga hayaku owatta-ra o-uchi ni o-ukagai shimasu? (.... I will visit your place)

Notes

Okane ga atta-ra konna uchi ni wa inai (If I had money I wouldnt be in such a place)

Ano toki okane ga atta-ra Nihon e itte-ita deshoo (If I had had money at that time I woukd probably have gone to Japan)

Notes

If S1 represents past action, the action cannot be one intentionally taken by the agent after the action or event represented by S1

Acceptable:

Gakkoo e itta-ra, guuzen Yamada san ni atta (When I went to school, I happended to meet Yamada san)

O-sake nonda-ra nete-shimatta (After I drunk sake, I fell asleep)

Not acceptable:

Gakkoo e itta-ra, Yamada to hanashi o shita (When I went to school, I talked to meet Yamada san)

O-sake nonda-ra neta (After I drunk sake, I went to bed)

TODO nara, ba + new grammar point tara doo desu ka?