There is a very important difference between -ba and nara, which has not
been mentioned yet by anyone, so I decided to write a few words of comment
about it. Actually the two structures are not interchangeable at all. In
most cases the sentence becomes unnatural or changes meaning if they are
switched.
-nara is used for English "if as you say" or "if it is the case that". One
uses it in reaction to words of another person, taking them as a
precondition for what he says in the latter part of the sentence. Out of all
Japanese conditional structures (-ba, -tara, to), none possesses such
meaning, so it is rather easy to distinguish when nara should be used.
Pari e iku nara, oshare na kutsu wo kaou.
- If (as you say) you go to Paris, let's buy some fashionable shoes.
Ryokou ni iku no nara, kamera wo motte iku to ii desu yo.
- If (as you say / it is the case that) you go travelling, it is a good
idea to take a camera.
On the other hand -ba expresses a regular condition. It's scope of use is
smaller than -tara, but it still is used very often. It's main uses are:
(1) conditions with emphasis on the first part of sentence
(2) minimum necessary condition
(3) unrealistic condition (2nd and 3rd conditionals in English)
(4) general truth (0 conditional in English)
Nara cannot be used in any of these cases.
(1) Dare ni kikeba, Tanaka san no juusho ga wakaru deshou ka.
- Whom should I ask to get to know Mr. Tanaka's address.
(literally, If I ask whom, will I get to know Mr.Tanakas address?)
Mori san ni kikeba wakarimasu.
- You'll get to know it IF you ask Mr. Mori.
Dou sureba fuku ga yasuku kaemasu ka.
- What should I do to buy clothes cheaply?
(2) Ichiman'en sae areba, ryokou ni ikemasu.
- It is possible to go travelling, if (only) you have (at least) 10000
Yen.
(3) Ato juppun hayaku dereba, basu ni maniatta noni.
- If I had left 10 minutes earlier, I would have made it for the bus.
(4) Eki kara chikakereba, benri desu.
- If it is close to the station, it is convenient.
As far as the difference between doushite and douyatte is concerned, it is
as follows. Doushite means generally "why? how come?". Is some situations,
mostly with verbs like "wakaru" or "shitte iru" it can be used with the
meaning "how?", but this use is rather limited.
Watashi ga doko ni iru ka doushite wakatta no?
- How did you find out where I was?
Douyatte usually means "In what way? by what means?" and is used to ask how
something can be achieved.
Konna tsukue, dou yatte tsukuru no?
- How do you make such a desk?
Sushi wa dou yatte tabemasu ka?
- How do I eat sushi?
Maciek
15 Apr 2007 10:45:38 -0700, randhir_nag <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>:
>
> Difference between
> 1.ba and nara -(if)
> 2.doshite and doyatte -(in what way)
> 3.yaru/suru(do)
> 4.shite mo/shitara(even if)
>
>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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