Learn Hardcore Japanese: zitensya de ikeba, okane wo setuyaku dekiru. - If you go by bicycle, you can save money.

The particle で here marks 自転車 as the means or method of transportation. In English, it’s like saying “by bike.” You always use で to show “by/with” when talking about how you do something (e.g., バスで, 電話で).

What does the ば ending in 行けば express? How is this conditional form used?

行けば is the -ば conditional of 行く (“to go”). It means “if/when you go.” In Japanese, the -ば form attaches directly to the verb stem (行く → 行けば) to create an “if” clause. The first half of the sentence (the condition) comes before the comma, and the second half is the result.

Why is お金 marked with を? Could it ever be omitted?

お金を節約する literally means “to save money,” with を marking お金 as the direct object of 節約する. You normally cannot omit を before transitive verbs in standard Japanese. If you drop を, the sentence becomes ungrammatical or ambiguous.

Why use 節約できる (the potential form) instead of just 節約する?

節約できる is the potential form, meaning “can save.” Since the sentence is giving advice or stating capability (“you can save money if…”), you need the potential. 節約する alone would simply state the action “to save,” not that it’s possible or achievable.

Who is the subject of this sentence? There’s no “you” or “I” explicitly stated.

Japanese often omits the subject when it’s clear from context. Here it’s general advice, so the implied subject is “you” (second person). In translation you’d supply “you”: “If you go by bicycle, (you) can save money.”

Why is there a comma after 行けば? Japanese doesn’t always use commas the way English does.

The comma (読点) here marks the end of the conditional clause and helps the reader parse the sentence, especially in longer or formal writing. It signals “if you go by bike,” then comes “you can save money.”

Why is the order お金を節約できる instead of 節約できるお金を?

Japanese typically puts objects (お金を) before the verb or verb phrase (節約できる). If you tried 節約できるお金を, you’d be modifying お金 (“money that can be saved”), which changes the meaning: you’re describing the money, not the act of saving.

Could we rephrase 自転車で行けば as 自転車に乗って行けば or 自転車で行くと? What’s the nuance?

自転車に乗って行けば is more explicit, “if you ride a bicycle and go,” but longer. It emphasizes the act of boarding a bike.
自転車で行くと uses the -と conditional, which often implies a natural result or general truth (“whenever you go by bike, you always save money”), whereas -ば can feel more hypothetical (“if you go by bike, you’ll be able to save money”). Both are correct but slightly different in nuance.