N3Chapter 53Unit 4 · Conditions and Nuance

Conditions, Requirements, and Regret

Learning objectives

  • Express necessary and sufficient conditions.
  • Give situational advice without overgeneralising.
  • Describe counterfactual regret about a past choice.
N3 context
N4 conditionals describe what happens if a condition is met. N3 adds a more useful question: is the condition necessary, sufficient, recommended, hoped for, or already impossible because the past cannot be changed?
Vocabulary語彙
6 terms

  • 条件

    noun

    じょうけん

    condition

  • 期限

    noun

    きげん

    deadline

  • 有効

    adj

    ゆうこう

    valid; effective

  • 満たす

    verb

    みたす

    to satisfy; fulfil

  • 後悔する

    verb

    こうかいする

    to regret

  • 申請

    noun

    しんせい

    application

Pattern contrast使い分け

What kind of condition?

V-ないと／V-なければ

necessary

unless; if not; must

Marks a necessary condition. In conversation the result may be omitted, as in もう行かないと。

今日申し込まないと、間に合いません。

Unless you apply today, you will not make the deadline.

V-る／V-ない限り

boundary

as long as; unless

Defines the boundary within which a statement remains true.

本人が同意しない限り、公開できません。

It cannot be made public unless the person agrees.

Nさえ／V-さえすれば

minimum

if only; provided that

Presents one minimum condition as sufficient.

予約番号さえ分かれば、確認できます。

As long as you know the reservation number, we can check it.

ばいい／ばよかった

advice / regret

should; it would be good if / should have

ばいい gives a solution or hope. Past ばよかった regrets an unrealised alternative.

分からなければ聞けばいい。もっと早く聞けばよかった。

If you do not understand, just ask. I should have asked sooner.

A sufficient condition is not always realistic

お金さえあれば幸せだ claims money alone is sufficient for happiness. Because さえ〜ば excludes other requirements, use it only when that strong claim is intended.

Guided practice練習

Express necessity, sufficiency, or regret.

  1. 1.Unless the document is valid, the application cannot be accepted.

  2. 2.A passport alone is enough for identification.

  3. 3.You regret not reserving earlier.
Reading practice読解

Workshop application conditions

application guidance

Target: 3 minutes
この研修に参加するには、金曜日までに申請しなければなりません。ただし、定員に達しない限り、期限後でも受け付ける場合があります。経験は必要ありません。基本的な日本語が理解できさえすれば、だれでも参加できます。予定が変わった場合は、前日までに連絡してください。
定員（ていいん）
capacity
研修（けんしゅう）
training course
  1. What is normally necessary to participate?
  2. What is the minimum language condition?
Listening rehearsal聴解

A missed discount

Listen for the condition that was not met.

Listen before opening the transcript.
  1. What does the speaker regret?
Key takeawaysまとめ
  • 1ないと and なければ mark necessity; 限り defines a boundary.
  • 2さえ〜ば singles out a minimum sufficient condition.
  • 3ばいい offers a solution or hope; ばよかった regrets a past alternative.

Knowledge Check

Practice quiz
1 / 8

急が＿＿、最終電車に間に合わない。