Understanding ~ものなら (~mono nara): A Streetwise JLPT N2 Grammar Guide

drive off into sunset

この
まち
から
られるものなら二度
にど

もど
ってこない。
If only I could leave this town, I would never come back.

Category: ,

Look, ~ものなら is all about that “if only I could…” vibe. It’s for when you’re talkin’ ’bout somethin’ you wanna do real bad, but you know deep down it’s probably impossible, super tough, or just ain’t gon’ happen. It shows you got that strong desire, but you also understand the real-world obstacles in your way. It’s like wishin’ you could pull off the biggest heist in history, but knowin’ the feds are watchin’ your every move. It’s all about that high-risk, high-reward dream that’s likely outta reach.

Think of it like this: ~ものなら is like a high-stakes poker game. You’re sittin’ at the table with a weak hand, but you’re bluffin’ hard, wishin’ you had the royal flush. The first part, the ~ものなら, is your dream hand—the “if only I had this.” The second part of the sentence is the consequence—what you’d do if you actually got it. You’re talkin’ big, but you know it’s a long shot.


Gotta get this conjugation right if you wanna sound like a pro. This ain’t no game.

Verb Potential Form + ものならExample SentenceEnglish Example Translation
e.g., 戻る → 戻れるやれるものなら、やってみろ。If I could go back, I’d want to.
e.g., やる → やれるやれるものなら、やってみろ。If you can do it, try it.
e.g., 逃げる → 逃げられる)逃げられるものなら、逃げてみろ。If you can escape, try to escape.
e.g., 買う → 買える買えるものなら、買いたい。If I could buy it, I’d want to buy it.

The conjugation is pretty simple, fam. You just gotta take the potential form of the verb and slap ~ものなら on the end. It’s all about what you could do. For example, if you got the verb “to go back” (戻る), its potential form is 戻れる (modoreru). So, if you wanna say, “if I could go back,” you’d say 戻れるものなら (modoreru mono nara). Easy, right? Just remember that potential form is key. Don’t get it twisted.


Think of ~ものなら like an escape plan from jail. You’re sittin’ in your cell, and the guards are everywhere. It seems impossible to get out. But in your mind, you’re thinkin’, “If I could escape this joint, I’d vanish without a trace.” The “if I could escape” part is ~ものなら. It’s a wish for something that’s super hard to pull off, but you’re already plannin’ what you’d do if you managed it. It’s a hypothetical power move, a fantasy of freedom.


Here’s the new vocabulary you gotta know to talk that talk.

縄張り (なわばり)

English: Turf; territory.

This word is the real deal. It ain’t just a place, it’s your whole kingdom. It’s the block you run, the streets you patrol. Every crew, every gang, they got their own 縄張り. You step on another crew’s turf, you better be ready for some static, some real heat. It’s all about respect and power—showin’ everyone who the boss is. You gotta protect your territory like your life depends on it, ’cause it just might. This is where you conduct your business, stash your goods, and keep your family safe. It’s your house, your rules.


命を賭ける (いのち を かける)

English: To risk one’s life.

Man, this is a whole ‘nother level. This ain’t no playin’ around. When you put your life on the line, you are goin’ all in, you feel me? It means you’re willin’ to die for somethin’—your people, your mission, the whole game. It’s that moment in Training Day when Denzel goes to the wire and puts everything he’s got on the line. No brakes, no U-turns. Just straight up, life on the line.


倒せる (たおせる)

English: Can defeat; to be able to knock down.

This word ain’t nothin’ but straight power, fam. When you say you “taoseru” somebody, you ain’t just talkin’ ’bout a fight. You sayin’ you can shut ’em down, lay ’em out, make ’em tap out for good. It’s that confidence, that real talk when you know you got the skills, the muscle, the hustle to take down the competition. It’s like Pac sayin’ he gonna take out all the haters. You “taoseru” ’em with your lyrics, your moves, or your business. You ain’t playin’ no games; you endin’ careers. You get me?


支配する (しはい する)

English: To dominate; to control.

This word is all about power. When you dominate, you don’t just win, you control the whole scene. You are the one makin’ the rules, callin’ the shots. It’s when you got the whole neighborhood on lock, everyone’s lookin’ to you for the final word. It’s like the kingpin from New Jack City, he had the whole block on his payroll. He wasn’t just in the game, he ran the game. That’s domination.


口答え (くちごたえ)

English: To talk back; to sass.

Nah, nah, this is disrespectful. When you talk back, you’re showin’ zero respect for the OG, the one in charge. It’s when someone tells you somethin’ and you come back with a smart-mouth comment. In the streets, that can get you in a whole lotta trouble. You gotta know your place. Keepin’ that lip zipped is the only move sometimes, ’cause when you sass the boss, you’re askin’ for problems. You get it?


Let’s get into some real talk with these examples. Remember, these are all about that big dream, that wild wish.

この刑務所
けいむしょ
から
られるもんなら、もう二度
にど

もど
って
ねぇよ。
If I could get outta this penitentiary, I ain’t ever comin’ back.


かれ

ゆる
せるものなら、とっくに
ゆる
しているさ
If I could forgive him, I would’ve done it a long time ago.

あのボスを
たお
せるもんなら、この
まち
縄張
なわば
りは
おれ
たちのもんだ。
If we could take down that boss, this city’s territory would be ours.

かねを
ぬす
めるものなら、もうこんな生活
せいかつ
はしない。
If I could steal that cash, I wouldn’t be livin’ this kinda life anymore.

あの
おんな

わす
れられるものなら、とっくに
わす
れちまってる。
If I could forget that broad, I would’ve already done it.

自分
じぶん
過去
かこ

えられるものなら、お
まえ
出会
であ
わない
みち

えら
ぶ。
If I could change my past, I’d choose a path where I never met you.

あの裏切
うらぎ

もの

ころ
せるものなら、
おれ


れるだろう
If I could ice that traitor, I’d feel a whole lot better.


おれ
のシマを
うば
えるものなら、やってみな
If you think you can jack my territory, try it.

時間
じかん

もど
せるものなら、あの

もど
ってやり
なお
したい。
If I could turn back time, I’d go back to that day and do it all over.

この
まち
支配
しはい
できるものなら、
だれ

おれ
口答
くちごた
えはさせない。
If I could run this city, nobody would talk back to me.


Aight, that’s the word. Now you’re equipped. Go out there and use this grammar to express your wildest dreams and impossible desires. Stay real. Peace out.

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