conditional N2 uncommon politewritten
〜ようでは — if it is the case that ~
〜ようでは
Builds on ようだ
Meaning
- if it is the case that ~ (such a poor state of affairs), then … — points to an unsatisfactory situation and predicts a bad outcome from it
Key sentence
こんなことで諦めるようでは、成功できないよ。
If you give up over something like this, you'll never succeed.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Plain clause (なようでは for nouns/な-adj) | [clause] + ようでは | 負けるようでは / 不安なようでは |
When: The 〜ようでは clause always describes an inadequate or worrying state; the main clause is a negative consequence or warning. Critical in tone.
Examples
基礎もできないようでは、応用は無理だ。
If you can't even do the basics, the advanced material is out of reach.
そんなに簡単に泣くようでは、まだ子供だ。
If you cry that easily, you're still a child.
When you can't use it
- The consequence is always negative — you can't use ようでは to lead into a good outcome. ×「頑張るようでは成功する」 is wrong; for a positive condition use ば／たら.
Easily confused with
〜ようだ plain ようだ states an appearance or conjecture ('it seems ~'); ようでは takes that 'such a state' and turns it into a critical conditional — 'if things are like that, [bad result]'. 〜ては ては warns 'if ~ happens, bad result' for an action generally; ようでは specifically frames the condition as an inadequate *state of affairs* the speaker disapproves of.
See 〜ようでは in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜ようでは 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.