connective N2 common casualpolitewritten
ては — if/whenever ~ (then a bad result)
ては
Builds on て形
Meaning
- if/whenever ~ (then something bad follows) — sets up a condition whose result the speaker views as undesirable
Key sentence
そんなに毎日遊んでいては、試験に落ちるよ。
If you keep goofing off every day like that, you'll fail the exam.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb て-form + は | Vて + は + [undesirable result] | 急いでは失敗する |
| い-adj (く)て / noun・な-adj で + は | 〜くては / 〜では + [bad result] | 高くては買えない |
Examples
ここで諦めては、今までの努力が無駄になる。
If you give up here, all your effort so far goes to waste.
毎晩こんなに飲んでは体を壊す。
Drinking this much every night, you'll ruin your health.
When you can't use it
- The result clause is negative or unwanted by definition; for a neutral condition use と / たら / ば. In casual speech ては often contracts to ちゃ (飲んじゃ).
Easily confused with
Notes
- Casual contractions: ては → ちゃ, では → じゃ (見ては → 見ちゃ).
See ては in real sentences
Jengo shows ては 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, A Dictionary of Intermediate Japanese Grammar.