Breakdown of ame ga huttara, sugu ie ni kaerimasu.
にni
destination particle
がga
subject particle
家ie
home
雨ame
rain
降るhuru
to fall
〜たら〜tara
conditional form
帰るkaeru
to return
すぐsugu
immediately
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Questions & Answers about ame ga huttara, sugu ie ni kaerimasu.
Why is が used in 雨が降ったら instead of は?
が marks the subject of the verb 降る (“to fall”). In conditional clauses like ～たら, you normally use が to indicate “what does the raining.” If you used は, it would shift the topic and sound unnatural in a “when it rains” conditional sense.
How does the ～たら form work in 降ったら?
The ～たら form attaches to the past tense stem of a verb (here 降った). It expresses “when/if” something happens. So 雨が降ったら literally means “when/if it has rained,” but idiomatically “when it rains.”
Why is the verb in the たら clause in past tense when talking about a future action?
In Japanese, conditional ～たら always uses the past tense form of the verb, even for future or hypothetical events. The past tense here does not indicate a completed past action but simply forms the “when/if” conditional.
What nuance does すぐ add to 帰ります?
すぐ means “immediately” or “right away.” By placing すぐ before 家に帰ります, the speaker emphasizes they will head home as soon as it starts raining.
Why is に used in 家に帰ります?
に marks the destination or goal of movement. 家に帰ります literally means “go back to home.” Without に, the sentence would be incomplete or incorrect.
Could you use 家へ帰ります instead of 家に帰ります? Any difference?
Yes, you could say 家へ帰ります. Both 家に and 家へ mark the destination and are largely interchangeable here. に is more neutral, while へ slightly emphasizes the direction toward home.
What’s the difference between ～たら and ～と for “when it rains”?
雨が降ったら、すぐ帰ります implies “if/when it rains, I’ll immediately go home,” with a sense of decision or plan.
雨が降ると、すぐ帰ります sounds more like a general rule or natural consequence (“whenever it rains, I end up going home”). ～たら is more flexible for one-time or conditional actions; ～と is used for inevitable, repeated results.
Why is there a comma after 降ったら?
The comma separates the conditional clause (雨が降ったら) from the main clause (すぐ家に帰ります). It makes the sentence clearer, showing the “when/if” part is complete before stating the result.