英語圏の友人からの日本語の文法での質問

英語圏の友人から質問を受けたのですが英語でどのように
答えてあげたらよいのかわからずこちらに質問させていただきました。

質問の内容は…
『What is the difference between the conditional and provisional tenses?
For example, miru-mireba, and miru-mitara, don't they both mean 'if'?
Like, if I see?』

みなさまのお力をお借りできればと思います。
よろしくおねがいします。

No.2 ベストアンサー 回答者： -Ken-Ken- 回答日時： 2013/08/18 06:02

ああ、それ難しいんで有名なテーマですね。

私ならこう説明します。

For me both "mireba" and "mitara" are conditional-provisional sentences.
In Japanese there are four types of conditional-provisional sentences.
1) mi-tara
2) miru-to
3) mire-ba
4) miru-nara
You are asking difference between “mire-ba” and “mi-tara”.
So I fourcus these two types of doncitional-provisional sentences.

As you understand, they both mean “if”.
Sometime they mean “when”.

- Anata o mire-ba, ureshiku omou.
- Anata o mi-tara, ureshiku omou.
(When I see you, I feel happy.)

“mire-ba” and “mi-tara” means the same in almost cases.
But these are not always exchangable.

If main clause express the fact, these are exchangeable.
- Taiyou o mi-tara, me ga itamu.
- Taiyou o mire-ba, me ga itamu
(If you see the sun, it harms your eyes.)

If main clause express intention of a teller (the first person), you cannot use “mi-reba” in almost cases.
For example, you can say.
- Anata o mi-tara, koe o kakeru tumoridesu.
(If I see you, I intend to talk to you.)
But you cannot say,
- (X) Anata o mire-ba, koe o kakeru tumoridesu.

Only in case, that the person who do “miru” is different form a teller, you can exchante “mi-tara” to “mire-ba”
- Anata ga watashi o mi-tara, watashi ha anata ni koe o kakemasu.
- Anata ga watashi o mire-ba, watashi ha anata ni koe o kakemasu.
(If you see me, I intend to talk to you.)

If main clause is an order, suggestion and so on to hearer (the second person), you cannot use “mire-ba”.
For exampel you can say,
- Byoki no hito wo mi-tara, 119 ni dennwa shinasai.
(If you see a person who is ill, you must dial 119.)
But you cannot say,
- (X) Byoki no hito wo mire-ba, 119 ni dennwa shinasai.

Only one exception is the case in which main clause is a permittion.
- Yuki o mi-tara, kaettemo ii.
- Yuki o mire-ba, kaettemo ii.
(If you see snow, you may go home).
But in this case “mire-ba” emphasize minimum condition to do something.
So we don't hear these sentenses completely the same although they have the same meaning.

No.4 回答者： -Ken-Ken- 回答日時： 2013/08/18 14:02

#2です。

もしかしたら、この違いのことかもしれないから、私の説明を採用してくれるのなら、以下の一項目も付け加えてください。

"mi-tara" is used for a conditional (non-provisitonal) sentence.
It means a sentence to express the fact in the past.
Usually this expresstion is translated with "when".
In this case, we don't use "mi-reba".
- Kanojyo o mi-tara, kanojyo ha waratteita.
(When I saw her, She smiled)
- (X) Kanojo o mi-reba, kanojyo ha waratteita.

No.3 回答者： lazydog1 回答日時： 2013/08/18 08:57

「見れば（分かる）」と「見たら（分かる）」は、さして違いはありませんね。

どちらで言っても問題ないケースがほとんどです。問題ある例をちょっとすぐに思いつけないくらいです。

　強いて言えば、以下のような違いがあります。

「見れば分かる」は、まだ見ていないという意識で言っています。「見る」ということについて、さらに何が「分かる」かについて、それが将来のことを推測して言っています。

　一方、「見たら分かる」は、もう見た後だという意識で言っています。「見る」ということは済んでおり、その上でどう「分かる」かということを言っています。「分かる」も含めて、過去を分析しているような感じです。

　ですので、「見たら分かった」を「見れば分かった」に言い換えると、ちょっと変な感じが無きにしも非ずです。この辺りに「見たら」が過去であることが、少し感じ取れるかもしれません。

>『What is the difference between the conditional and provisional tenses?
For example, miru-mireba, and miru-mitara, don't they both mean 'if'?
Like, if I see?』

Basically, there's no big difference between "mireba" and "mitara". If you ask me more about it, I'd say like this.

"mireba" is "if/when you see it (, you'll get it.)", which means you haven't seen it, and you might be going to see it.

"mitara" is "after you see it", which means like "You will get it after you see it" or "if you saw it (, you would get it.)" "see" is imaginarily a past action.

These mean that "mireba" involve the future tense, whereas "mitara" has a past tense shade of meaning.

So, it sounds natural to say "見たら分かった(mitara wakatta)", but "見れば分かった(mireba wakatta)" sometimes a bit awkward because "分かった(wakatta)" is a past tense verb of "分かる(wakaru: understand, get)".

No.1 回答者： miknnik 回答日時： 2013/08/18 04:32

As you said, these are 'tenses,' and that means that they include not only the conditional and provisional 'if' but conjugations.

As you may know, 'miru' is the infinitive form of 'see.' 'Mireba' is a present conditional tense (stem, 'mir' plus suffix) whereas 'mitara' has a part that indicates past (stem, 'mita' plus suffix).
So, you can translate these Japanese sentences, "Mireba wakaru," and "Mitara wakaru," into "You'll know if you see it," and "You would know if you saw it."

とでも説明できると思います。