conditional N3 common casualpolitewritten
もしも〜たら — if (were to happen)
もしも〜たら ・ もしもたら
Builds on た形
Meaning
- if ~ (were to happen) — もしも emphasis on a たら conditional, framing a hypothetical event and its consequence
Key sentence
もしも宝くじが当たったら、家を買う。
If I won the lottery, I'd buy a house.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| もしも + V/Aた + ら | もしも 〜たら | もしも雨が降ったら (if it were to rain) |
Examples
もしも道に迷ったら、すぐ電話してください。
If you get lost, please call right away.
もしも生まれ変わったら、何になりたい?
If you were reborn, what would you want to be?
Easily confused with
もしも〜なら たら sequences an event then its result ('when/if X happens, then Y'); なら takes up an already-stated premise ('if it's the case that X'). 雨が降ったら帰る (when it rains, I leave) vs 帰るなら傘を持って (if you're leaving, take an umbrella). 〜たら もしも only adds 'what if, supposing…' drama; たら carries the actual conditional. Drop もしも and 当たったら still means 'if/when it hits.'
Notes
- もしも is the dramatic, emphatic form of もし — the natural choice for 'what if' daydreams and unlikely suppositions.
See もしも〜たら in real sentences
Jengo shows もしも〜たら 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.