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Vどうしたらいい (Suggestions) ▲ |
どうしたらいいですか (What should I do?) is used to ask for a suggestion. Vたらどうですか (How about V-ing?) is used to make a suggestion. Vたら form is called a conditional form and it is made of plain-past-V+ら.
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| どうしたら |
いいですか。 |
What should I do?
(Lit., If I do what, would it be good?) |
薬を飲んだら |
どうですか。 |
How about taking some medicine?
(Lit., If you take medicine, how would it be?) |
Compared with the advice form Vたほうがいい, this Vたらどうですか form is more gentle. Caution: Use this form only if you are asked for your suggestion. Without being asked, it may sound critical. 薬を飲んだらどうですか (Why don't you take medicine?) may sound as if you are critical of the listener's not taking any medicine. Also, don't confuse this form with an invitation: あした、えいがを見ませんか (Would you like to watch a movie tomorrow?). あした、えいがを見たらどうですか (Why don't you watch a movie?) does not work as an invitation because you are suggesting a "proper" course of action to take instead of asking if someone would like to do so.
たらたら
The general conditional form consists of the plain-past-form+ら, and it is referred to as たら conditional form. This corresponds to if (or when) in English. This form requires that the event
marked by たら in Clause 1 is completed before the event in Clause 2 takes place. Study the following examples.
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Clause 1 (If/When
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| その本がたかかったら |
買えません。 |
| If the book is expensive, |
I can't buy it. |
| ケーキがおいしくなかったら |
食べません。 |
| If the cake is not tasty, |
I won't eat it. |
| やさいがきらいだったら |
食べなくてもいいですよ。 |
| If you dislike vegetable, |
you don't have to eat it. |
| カフェがしずかじゃなかったら |
としょかんに行きましょう。 |
| If the cafeteria is not quiet, |
let's go to the library. |
| その人が日本人だったら |
日本語が話せるでしょう。 |
| If that person is a Japanese, |
he/she can speak Japanese. |
| その人がいい人じゃなかったら |
そうだんできません。 |
| If he/she is not a good person, |
I won't be able to consult with him/her. |
| 大学をそつぎょうしたら |
日本の会社で はたらきたいです。 |
| If/When I graduate from college, |
I would like to work for a Japanese company. |
| 11時までに来なかったら |
帰ります。 |
| If he does not come by 11 o'clock, |
I will leave. |
Whether ～たら means if or when depends on the context. If the speaker is certain that the event described
by たら will happen (See (a) below), then it is interpreted as when. If the speaker is NOT certain whether the event will happen (See (b) below), it is interpreted as if.
(a) あしたの朝になったら、でかけます。
When the tomorrow morning comes, I will leave.
(b) あしたの朝、はれたら、でかけます。
If it becomes sunny tomorrow morning, I will leave.
Usually, the subject of たら clause (Clause 1) is marked by が. In the following, Clause 1 is marked by square brackets [ ].
[ 田中さんがえきについたら ]、 電話します。
When Mr. Tanaka arrives at the station, I will call.
If は is used instead of が, it is understood as the topic/subject of Clause 2 (Main Clause).
田中さんは [ えきについたら ]、 電話します。= [ えきについたら ]、田中さんは電話します。
When he arrives at the station, Mr. Tanaka will call.
When a たら conditional statement refers to a past event, the main clause must refer to a non-self-controllable (i.e., unexpected) event: When S1 happened, S2 happened (to one's surprise).
- 学校に行ったら、テストがあった。
When I went to school, there was a test.
[S2: It was a pop quiz! -- not self-controllable.]
- 外に出たら、雪だった。
When I went outside, it was snowing.
[S2: I didn't expect any snow! -- not self-controllable.]
 学校に行ったら、本を読んだ。
When I went to school, I read a book.
[Ungrammatical because S2 is a self-controllable event.] |
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Compare to the なら conditional statement, the たら conditional statement requires S1 is completed before S2.
- 日本に行くなら、カメラを買います。
If I am going to Japan, I will buy a camera (before leaving for Japan).
- 日本に行ったら、カメラを買います。= 日本に行ったなら、カメラを買います。
If I go to Japan, I will buy a camera (after arriving in Japan).
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