Understanding Provisional Form in Japanese Grammar

What is the Provisional Form?

The provisional form, also known as the conditional form, is an essential aspect of Japanese grammar. This form is utilized to indicate that an action or event will occur based on a particular condition being met. Moreover, this form helps create complex sentences, allowing for a more in-depth expression of thoughts and ideas.

Usage of the Provisional Form in Japanese Grammar

There are two primary uses for the provisional form in Japanese grammar:

1. To indicate an action or event that will happen if a certain condition is met (conditional).
2. To express an assumption or hypothesis made based on the facts at hand (speculative).

Creating the Provisional Form

Rules for Verbs in Provisional Form

In order to transform a verb into its provisional form, follow these general rules:

For Group 1 (U-verbs) Verbs:
Add -eba to the verb stem, replacing the final /u/-sound with its corresponding /e/-sound.

Example:
書く (kaku) – to write → 書けば (kakeba) – if (I) write

For Group 2 (Ru-verbs) Verbs:
Remove -る from the verb and add -れば.

Example:
食べる (taberu) – to eat → 食べれば (tabereba) – if (I) eat

For Group 3 (Irregular) Verbs:
Suru (to do) and Kuru (to come) have their unique provisional forms:

– する (suru) → すれば (sureba) – if (I) do
– くる (kuru) → くれば (kureba) – if (I) come

Rules for Adjectives in Provisional Form

For i-adjectives, replace the final -い with -ければ.

Example:
早い (hayai) – early/fast → 早ければ (haya_kereba) – if (it’s) early/fast

For na-adjectives and nouns, add -であれば or its more casual form, -なら.

Example (na-adjective):
静か (shizuka) – quiet → 静かであれば (shizuka_de_areba) / 静かなら (shizuka_nara) – if (it’s) quiet

Example (noun):
学生 (gakusei) – student → 学生であれば (gakusei_de_areba) / 学生なら (gakusei_nara) – if (I’m) a student

Examples of the Provisional Form in Context

Apart from creating discussion scenarios, the provisional form also plays a role in expressing preferences or making suggestions.

Example 1:
チケットがあれば、コンサートに行きます。
Chiketto ga areba, konsaato ni ikimasu.
If (I) have a ticket, (I) will go to the concert.

Example 2:
もっと勉強すれば、試験に合格できるでしょう。
Motto benkyou sureba, shiken ni goukaku dekiru deshou.
If (you) study more, (you) will probably pass the exam.

Conclusion

The provisional form stands out as a vital component of Japanese grammar, in charge of expressing conditionality and speculations in sentences. By understanding the rules and applications of the provisional form, one can achieve a higher level of proficiency in Japanese and convey complex ideas more effectively.