Breakdown of kyuukou ga manin nara, hiroba made arukeba ii to omou.
がga
subject particle
までmade
limit particle
歩くaruku
to walk
とto
quotative particle
思うomou
to think
ならnara
conditional particle
〜ば〜ba
conditional form
広場hiroba
plaza
いいii
fine
急行kyuukou
express train
満員manin
full
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Questions & Answers about kyuukou ga manin nara, hiroba made arukeba ii to omou.
Why is 急行 followed by が instead of は in 急行が満員なら?
In conditional clauses using ～なら, Japanese normally marks the subject with が. Here, 急行が満員 simply states the condition “the express train is full.” If you used は (急行は満員なら), you’d be shifting it into a topic-comment structure (“as for the express train, if it’s full…”), which adds a nuance of contrast or emphasis. Using が keeps it a straightforward “if” clause.
What exactly does the ～なら in 満員なら do?
The particle ～なら attaches to nouns (and dictionary-form verbs/adjectives) to form a conditional: “if ….” Here 満員 (“full”) + なら = “if (it is) full.” It’s often used when you draw a conclusion or suggestion based on a given state.
Why use 歩けばいい? What does ～ばいい express?
The ～ば conditional plus いい (～ばいい) is a common way to make a suggestion or propose a solution: “it would be good to…,” “you should…,” or “just….” So 歩けばいい means “you should walk” or “just walk.” It’s softer than a direct command.
Could we say 歩いたらいい instead of 歩けばいい?
Yes. ～たらいい (the たら conditional + いい) also makes a suggestion: “if (you) walk, that’d be good.” The difference is subtle: ～ば is a bit more abstract/general, while ～たら often feels a touch more concrete/focused on a real scenario. In everyday speech for a suggestion, both are fine.
Why is there a と before 思う?
That と is the quotative particle. It marks the preceding clause (広場まで歩けばいい) as the content of your thought or speech. So it literally means “I think that ‘…walk to the plaza.’”
Can we drop と思う at the end?
You can, but it alters the tone. Without と思う, 急行が満員なら広場まで歩けばいい becomes a more direct instruction or plan (“If the express is full, just walk to the plaza”). With と思う, it’s clearly your personal opinion or suggestion, making it softer and more tentative.
What role does まで play in 広場まで歩けばいい?
まで marks the endpoint or limit of an action/motion: “up to” or “as far as.” 広場まで歩く means “walk as far as the plaza,” i.e. “walk to the plaza.” It’s the natural particle for indicating how far you go.