Learn Hardcore Japanese: asita made ni nimotu ga todokanakattara meiwaku da kara, konya ha sikkari zyunbisite oku. - If the package doesn’t arrive by tomorrow, it will be a hassle, so I’ll prepare properly tonight.

までに means “by (deadline), before that time.” It’s used with punctual events like 届く (to arrive). まで means “until (up to that time)” and is used with ongoing actions or states.

明日までに荷物が届く = The package arrives by tomorrow.
明日まで勉強する = Study until tomorrow.

Why does 届かなかったら use the past negative for a future condition?

The conditional 〜たら is formed with the past/plain form, even when talking about the future. 届かなかったら literally “if it didn’t arrive,” idiomatically means “if it doesn’t arrive (by then).” This is just how the たら conditional works in Japanese.

Could I say 届いていなかったら instead of 届かなかったら?

Yes. 届いていなかったら focuses on the state “has not arrived (yet)” at that point in time, while 届かなかったら focuses on the non-occurrence of the arrival by the deadline. With までに, both are natural; the ている form can feel a touch more “state-based.”

What’s the difference between 〜たら, 〜なら, 〜ば, and 〜と here?

〜たら: Most natural for a concrete, one-time, real possibility. 届かなかったら迷惑だ。
〜なら: “If it’s the case that…/assuming…”. Used when the premise is given/assumed. 届かないなら…
〜ば: Slightly more formal/hypothetical. 届かなければ迷惑だ。
〜と: “Whenever/if (then inevitably)”. Best for automatic results; less natural with a subjective judgment like 迷惑だ.

Why is 荷物 marked with が instead of は or に?

届く is intransitive; the thing that arrives is the grammatical subject, so 荷物が届く. You could use 荷物は to topicalize if the package is already the topic, but が is the neutral choice introducing it. に would mark a recipient/destination (e.g., 私に荷物が届く), which isn’t expressed here.

Why is it 迷惑だ and not 迷惑になる?

Both are possible, but the nuance differs. 迷惑だ states a judgment (“it’s a nuisance/inconvenient”). 迷惑になる emphasizes the change into that troublesome state (“it would become a nuisance”). With 〜たら, stating 迷惑だ is perfectly natural.

What exactly does 迷惑だ mean, and how does it differ from 困る, 不便, or 面倒?

迷惑 is “nuisance/trouble (to others).” 迷惑だ often implies causing trouble or inconvenience to someone (not just you). By contrast, 困る = “to be in a bind,” 不便 = “inconvenient,” 面倒 = “bothersome.” Also note the common pattern 人に迷惑をかける (cause trouble to someone).

Why is there だ before から in 迷惑だから?

迷惑 is a noun/na-adjective, so in plain style you attach だ before から: 迷惑だ＋から → 迷惑だから. In polite style, use ですから. With ので, na-adjectives take なので (迷惑なので).

What’s the role of は in 今夜は? Could I say 今夜に?

今夜は uses は to topicalize/contrast “tonight” (“as for tonight”). Time words like 今日/明日/今夜 usually don’t take に in this sense; 今夜に is generally unnatural here. You might see 今夜には when emphasizing “at least by tonight,” but that’s a different nuance.

What does しっかり mean? How is it different from ちゃんと or きちんと?

しっかり: solidly, thoroughly, reliably (emphasizes completeness/robustness).
ちゃんと: properly, as it should be (broad, everyday).
きちんと: neatly, orderly, with proper form. All can modify 準備する, but しっかり stresses doing it thoroughly.

What does 〜ておく mean in 準備しておく?

〜ておく means “do something in advance (for future convenience).” Here, “prepare ahead of time.” It’s the auxiliary use of 置く and is typically written in kana. Casual speech often shortens it to 〜とく (準備しとく).

Can I make the whole sentence polite?

Yes: 明日までに荷物が届かなかったら迷惑ですから、今夜はしっかり準備しておきます。 This keeps the conditional in plain form (natural in subordinate clauses) and makes the main clause polite.

Does this sentence mean “I’ll only prepare if the package doesn’t arrive”?

No. It means “Because it would be a problem if it doesn’t arrive by tomorrow, I’ll (already) prepare tonight.” If you wanted a true conditional action, you’d say something like: 明日までに届かなかったら、明日しっかり準備する。 Using から here signals a reason for preparing now.

Is there any difference between 今夜 and 今晩?

They’re near-synonyms for “tonight.” 今晩 is slightly more colloquial/everyday; 今夜 can feel a bit more formal/literary or used for special events, but in most contexts either works.

Why use 届く instead of 来る?

届く means “to be delivered/arrive (as delivery),” which fits packages. People sometimes say 荷物が来る in casual speech, but 荷物が届く is the standard. The transitive counterpart is 届ける (“to deliver [something]”).

Is writing おく in kana correct, or should it be 置く?

When おく is the auxiliary meaning “do in advance,” it’s usually written in kana (〜ておく). Writing 置く is not wrong but looks heavier and can distract from the auxiliary function.

What’s the effect of 明日までには (with は) instead of 明日までに?

までには adds a slight contrast/emphasis, like “at least by tomorrow” or “by tomorrow for sure (if not earlier).” It can sound a bit more resolute or contrastive than plain までに.

Who is the subject of 準備しておく? Why is it omitted?

It’s understood as “I” from context. Japanese frequently drops subjects when they’re obvious; 今夜は sets the time as the topic, and the speaker is the natural agent of “prepare.”