Breakdown of densha ga okuretara komaru.
がga
subject particle
電車densha
train
遅れるokureru
to be late
〜たら〜tara
conditional form
Questions & Answers about densha ga okuretara komaru.
Why is が used instead of は in this sentence?
In 電車が遅れたら困る, が simply marks the train as the subject of the subordinate clause “if the train is late.” Using は would make “train” the topic and could imply contrast or a general statement (“As for the train…”). Here we want to present a hypothetical condition about the train, so が is the natural choice.
How do you form the conditional ～たら from a verb like 遅れる?
To make the ～たら conditional, take the verb’s plain past tense and add ら:
- 遅れる (dictionary form)
- 遅れた (plain past)
- 遅れた + ら → 遅れたら
This pattern works for all verb groups (e.g. 書く → 書いたら, 食べる → 食べたら).
What nuance does ～たら add here, and how does it differ from other conditionals like ～と or ～ば?
～たら expresses a hypothetical or possible condition (“if/when X happens, then Y”). Compared to:
- ～と: often indicates a natural, automatic result whenever X occurs, with no choice (e.g. 春になると桜が咲く).
- ～ば: more formal or abstract; sounds slightly more “textbook” (遅れれば困る).
～たら feels natural in everyday speech and allows the speaker to present their own desire or worry about the outcome.
Why is 困る in the plain form here, and how could you make the sentence more polite?
