conditional N1 uncommon casualwritten
〜ばそれまでだ — if ~, then that's the end of it
〜ばそれまでだ ・ ばそれまでだ
Builds on ば形
Meaning
- if ~, then that's the end of it / if ~, it's all over — warns that should the stated condition occur, everything is finished and nothing can be recovered
A pointed warning: highlights a single condition that would wipe out all effort or value — motivates caution.
Key sentence
命があっての話だ。死んでしまえばそれまでだ。
It all depends on being alive — once you're dead, that's the end of it.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb (ば-conditional) + それまでだ | V(ば) + それまでだ | ばれればそれまでだ / 落ちればそれまでだ |
Examples
どんな名作も、読まれなければそれまでだ。
Even a masterpiece — if no one reads it, that's the end of it.
計画が漏れればそれまでだから、慎重にやろう。
If the plan leaks, it's all over, so let's be careful.
Easily confused with
See 〜ばそれまでだ in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜ばそれまでだ the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled from published Japanese grammar references.