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Easy Guide to the Particle と (Conditional)

If X happens then Y will happen...

Happy Sunday Japanophiles, Herewith the 67th issue of the Hai Japan Newsletter — your Weekly Dose of Japan!

Today, we’re simply going through…

Particle と (Conditional)

V + と / V-ない + と
Used to show strong causal relationships or inevitable results.

Think:

“If/when X happens, Y always happens”.

Anime

Anime of the Week: Apothecary Diaries

The Apothecary Diaries is a historical mystery anime set in ancient China’s imperial palace. The story follows Maomao, a clever and sharp-tongued apothecary, kidnapped and forced to work as a palace servant.

Using her deep knowledge of medicine and poisons, she secretly solves mysterious illnesses and incidents within the inner court. Her talent catches the attention of the enigmatic eunuch Jinshi, leading her to become involved in palace intrigues, conspiracies, and life-threatening secrets while uncovering her own hidden connections to the royal family.

Grammar Pattern

Structure

Meaning

Verb (dictionary form) + と

If/When X happens, Y happens

Verb (negative) + と

If X doesn’t happen, Y happens

Example:

  • 勝手にベーコンを食べると、マミは怒る。

  • If you eat bacon without permission, Mami gets mad.

  • Romaji: Katte ni bēkon o taberu to, Mami wa okoru.

The Basics

と connects a condition to a result — often something predictable, natural, or immediate.
It’s commonly translated as:

  • If X happens, Y results.

  • When X happens, Y always follows.

Music

Songs of the Day

Some Japanese songs to Jam to…)))

Upbeat

STAR by BiSH

Chill

odoriko by VAUNDY

Sad

Cry Baby by Kinoko Teikoku

Usage Types of と

1. Things That Always Happen

Used for situations with consistent cause and effect.

Example:

お酒を飲むと、スイーツが食べたくなる。
When I drink alcohol, I crave sweets.
Romaji: Osake o nomu to, suītsu ga tabetakunaru.

Extra vocabulary for this structure:

  • 必ず (kanarazu) – without exception

  • よく (yoku) – often

  • いつも (itsumo) – always

2. Habits

と also works well to describe current or past habits:

Present Habit:

晴れるとよくランニングをする。
When it’s sunny, I usually run.
Romaji: Hareru to yoku ranningu o suru.

Past Habit:

晴れるとよくランニングをした。
When it was sunny, I used to run.
Romaji: Hareru to yoku ranningu o shita.

Old-fashioned/Nostalgic Habit:

晴れるとよくランニングをしたものだ。
I used to run when it was sunny (nostalgic).
Romaji: Hareru to yoku ranningu o shita mono da.

3. General Conditions

For describing facts, rules, or cause-effect logic:

Example:

ボタンを押すと、店員が来る。
Press the button and staff will come.
Romaji: Botan o osu to, ten'in ga kuru.

Tip: These are often in the present tense.

4. Successive Actions

と can also show one action that is immediately followed by another. Use past tense here:

Example:

ボタンを押すと、店員が来た。
Once I pressed the button, staff came.
Romaji: Botan o osu to, ten'in ga kita.

With すぐに (immediately):

ボタンを押すと、すぐに店員が来た。
As soon as I pushed the button, staff came immediately.
Romaji: Botan o osu to, sugu ni ten'in ga kita.

5. “What Happens If…?” Questions

Use と to ask about hypothetical results or machine behavior:

Example:

このボタンを押すとどうなりますか?
What happens if I push this button?
Romaji: Kono botan o osu to dō narimasu ka?

6. Warnings

と works with negative forms to warn of unwanted outcomes:

Example:

早く起きないと遅刻するよ。
If you don’t wake up soon, you’ll be late.
Romaji: Hayaku okinai to chikoku suru yo.

Perspective-Shifting with と

と also appears in phrases that soften assertiveness by giving an objective or relational perspective:

Japanese Phrase

Meaning

Romaji

はっきり言うと…

Frankly speaking…

Hakkiri iu to…

そう考えると…

Viewed from that angle…

Sō kangaeru to…

他と比べると…

Compared to others…

Hoka to kuraberu to…

一般的に見ると…

Generally speaking…

Ippanteki ni miru to…

と vs. たら

Though similar, and たら differ in nuance:

たら

Strong, predictable result

Flexible, conditional result

Often always true

Often hypothetical

Works best with present/facts

Works with future/past

Comparison Example (Cause-Effect)

と:

お酒を飲むと、スイーツが食べたくなる。
When I drink alcohol, I always crave sweets.
Romaji: Osake o nomu to, suītsu ga tabetakunaru.

たら:

お酒を飲んだら、スイーツが食べたくなる。
If I drink alcohol, I crave sweets.
Romaji: Osake o nonda ra, suītsu ga tabetakunaru.

Comparison Example (Sequence)

と:

ボタンを押すと、店員が来た。
Once I pushed the button, staff came.
Romaji: Botan o osu to, ten'in ga kita.

たら:

ボタンを押したら、店員が来た。
When I pushed the button, staff came.
Romaji: Botan o oshitara, ten'in ga kita.

Tip: と implies immediate succession; たら focuses on the trigger.

More Anime

Summer Anime to Watch

There are so many good anime out this summer. So much anime…so little time (unless this is your job somehow (I’m not jealous)).

Anyway, make sure you don’t miss out!

Social Media

Highlight of the Day

Quick Summary Table

Usage

JP Example

Romaji

Meaning

Always Happens

飲むと眠くなる

Nomu to nemuku naru

I get sleepy when I drink

Habits

晴れると散歩する

Hareru to sanpo suru

I walk when it’s sunny

General Conditions

押すと音が鳴る

Osu to oto ga naru

It beeps when pressed

Successive Actions

家に帰ると電話が鳴った

Ie ni kaeru to denwa ga natta

Phone rang as I got home

“What Happens If…?”

押すとどうなる?

Osu to dō naru?

What happens if I press it?

Warnings

行かないと困る

Ikanai to komaru

You’ll regret it if you don’t go

Perspective Shifting

はっきり言うと…

Hakkiri iu to…

Frankly speaking…

Hope ya’ll enjoyed that!

See you next week :)