How to use ～たら (~tara): A Streetwise JLPT N4 Grammar Guide

October 20, 2025

How to use ～たら (~tara): A Streetwise JLPT N4 Grammar Guide

Hood Japanese

彼かれは酒さけを飲のみすぎたら、秘密ひみつを全部ぜんぶ話はなしちゃう。
If he drinks too much, he spills all the secrets.

Category: If/When, N4 Grammar

Jump to:
The Blueprint: Conjugation guide
Put me on game: Examples with audio

Read the explanation below to understand the nuance of how this grammar structure is used.

Look, ～たら ain’t complicated. It’s all about cause and effect. It’s the setup and the punchline. Think of it like a street deal: IF you show me the money (Action A), THEN you get the product (Action B).

The most important thing to remember is that ～たら focuses on the completion of that first action. The “if” part has to happen or be finished before the “then” part can pop off.

～たら is that trigger. You pull it (Action A), the shot fires (Action B). Ya feel me? It connects the action to the consequence, straight up.

Think of ～たら like it’s the code to a safe. The first part of the sentence (the ～たら part) is you punching in the numbers. The second part of the sentence is the safe door swinging open.

You can’t open the safe while you’re still punching the code. You gotta finish inputting the whole code first (Action A is complete). As soon as you hit that last number and the lock clicks (～たら)… boom, the door opens (Action B happens).

Now, sometimes we use たら to mean “when” and other times we use it to mean “if”. Don’t let it trip you up. It’s one of the cleanest parts of the grammar. It all comes down to context. It’s just about whether you’re talkin’ about a gamble or a plan.

Part 1: The “IF” — The Gamble (Hypothetical)

This is when you use ～たら for shit that might happen, or might not. It’s a hypothetical. You’re setting a condition. IF this joint pops off, THEN we do that.

You’ll often see this with もし (moshi) at the start of the sentence. もし is like a big, flashing sign that says “HYPOTHETICALLY” or “WHAT IF…” You don’t always need it, but it makes the “if” meaning crystal clear.

もし警察けいさつが来きたら、逃にげる。
IF the cops (hypothetically) show up, we bounce.
(We don’t know if they will, but that’s the plan if they do.)
もし金かねがたくさんあったら、全部ぜんぶリスペクトされる。(Moshi kane ga takusan attara, zenbu risupekuto sareru.) IF I had a lotta money, I’d get all the respect.
(I don’t… but if I did…)

Part 2: The “WHEN” — The Plan (Sequential)

This is when you use ～たら for something you expect to happen. It’s not a gamble, it’s just the sequence of events. You’re talkin’ about what you’re gonna do after the first action is complete.

Think of it as “After A, then B.”

家いえに着ついたら、電話でんわする。
WHEN I get home, I’ll call you.
(I am going home. The action is getting home. The next action is calling.)
仕事しごとが終おわったら、飲のみに行いこう。
WHEN work is finished, let’s go drink.
(Work will finish. That’s the trigger for the next move.)

So, let’s go back to that safe code metaphor.

Using たら as “IF” (The Gamble): This is like you find a random safe on the street. You don’t even know if it’s the right one. You say, “IF this safe code works (もしこのコードが使つかえたら), THEN we’re rich.” It’s a total hypothetical.
Using たら as “WHEN” (The Plan): This is your own safe. You know the code. You’re just tellin’ your crew the plan. “WHEN I finish punchin’ in this code (コードを入いれ終おわったら), THEN you grab the bags.” It’s a guaranteed sequence. Action A (finishing the code) will happen, and it triggers Action B (grabbing the bags).

So, when you see ～たら, just ask yourself: Is this a “what if” gamble, or is it just “what’s next” in the plan? The context will tell you every time.

Read the table below then use it to conjugate some words you know.

It’s easy money. You just get the Ta-form (the short past tense) of your word and add ら (ra).

Word Type	How to Make It	Example (Tara Form)	Translation
Group 1 Verb	Change to Ta-form + ら	買かう > 買かったら	If I buy
Group 2 Verb	Change to Ta-form + ら	食たべる > 食たべたら	If I eat
Group 3 Verb	Change to Ta-form + ら	する > したら	If I do
I-Adjective	Change い to かった + ら	高たかい > 高たかかったら	If it’s expensive
Na-Adjective	Add だったら	静しずか > 静しずかだったら	If it’s quiet
Noun	Add だったら	雨あめ > 雨あめだったら	If it’s rain

Aight, so peep this. The whole trick is just knowing your Ta-form (past tense, short form). That’s the “did” form, like 食べた or 飲んだ. Once you got that, you just add ら (ra) to the end. That’s it. For your nouns and your na-adjectives, it’s always だったら. Don’t overthink it. 元気 becomes 元気だったら. ボス becomes ボスだったら. Simple.