adverbial N4 common casualpolitewritten
もし（も） — if
もし（も）
Meaning
- if (by any chance) ~ — a sentence-opening adverb that flags the clause as hypothetical; it pairs with a conditional ending
Key sentence
もし雨が降ったら、中止します。
If it rains, we'll cancel.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Sentence-initial adverb + a conditional (たら・ば・なら・と) | もし(も) … 〜たら / ば / なら | もし時間があれば (if you have time) |
Examples
もし困ったことがあれば、連絡してください。
If you ever run into trouble, please get in touch.
もしも宝くじが当たったら、世界中を旅したい。
If I ever won the lottery, I'd want to travel the world.
When you can't use it
- もし doesn't form a conditional by itself — it only signals one, so the verb still needs たら/ば/なら. もし行く is wrong; say もし行ったら or もし行くなら.
Easily confused with
Notes
- もしも is the emphatic form, used for less likely or more dramatic 'supposing ever…' hypotheticals; plain もし is the everyday version.
See もし（も） in real sentences
Jengo shows もし（も） the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Advanced Japanese Grammar.