Learn Hardcore Japanese: tikamiti wo tukaeba, hiruma de mo kitto hayaku tuku. - If you use a shortcut, you will surely arrive faster even in the daytime.

It marks the direct object of the verb 使う (to use). So 近道を使う literally means “use a shortcut.” If you want to say “go via the shortcut,” you’d typically use で with 行く, as in 近道で行けば (“if you go by way of the shortcut”).

Why is the conditional 使えば used instead of 使ったら?

Both work, but nuances differ:

〜ば suggests a general condition that naturally leads to a result. It’s good for logical or expected outcomes: “If you use a shortcut, (then naturally) you’ll arrive earlier.”
〜たら can be conditional but often feels more like “when/after” in sequence, or a more concrete, situational “if.”
〜と also fits here for a natural consequence (近道を使うと…); avoid it with volition/requests.

All three are acceptable here, with slight tone differences.

What does 昼間でも mean? Is で a separate particle here?

でも is a single particle meaning “even/also,” not “で + も.” 昼間でも means “even during the daytime,” implying contrast (e.g., daytime traffic is usually slow, but even then…).

What’s the difference between 昼, 昼間, and 日中?

昼 (ひる): noon to early afternoon; “noon/lunchtime.”
昼間 (ひるま): the broader “daytime” (while the sun is up), contrasted with night.
日中 (にっちゅう): “daytime” too, a bit formal/written or weather/reporting style. Here, 昼間でも emphasizes the general daytime period.

What nuance does きっと add? How does it compare to 必ず or たぶん?

きっと: “surely/very likely” based on the speaker’s strong expectation (not 100% guaranteed).
必ず: “without fail,” stronger and more categorical.
たぶん: “probably,” weaker than きっと and often paired with 〜と思う／〜でしょう. You can say きっと早く着く (assertive) or きっと早く着くでしょう (softer/politer prediction).

Who is the subject here? Why is it omitted?

Japanese often drops the subject when it’s clear from context. It could be I/we/you/the bus, etc. You can add it if needed:

私たちが近道を使えば… (If we use a shortcut…)
バスなら、近道を使えば… (As for the bus, if it uses a shortcut…)

Why is it 早く and not 早い?

Because it modifies a verb (着く), so you need the adverb form. For い-adjectives, the adverb is made by changing 〜い to 〜く:

早い (early) → 早く (early/quickly) to modify 着く.

Does 早く here mean “early” or “fast”? What about 速く?

早く generally means “early (in time).” With 着く, it usually means “arrive earlier (than usual/some reference time).”
速く means “quickly/at high speed.” With motion verbs (走る, 歩く) you use 速く. You could say 速く着く to emphasize speed of travel, but 早く着く is the default for arriving earlier.

If I want to add a destination, which particle goes with 着く?

Use に (most common) or へ:

駅に着く / 東京に着く Time of arrival takes に as well: 8時に着く.

Could I say 近道すれば instead of 近道を使えば?

Yes. 近道する means “to take a shortcut,” so 近道すれば、昼間でもきっと早く着く is natural.
Nuance: 〜を使えば highlights “using” the shortcut as a tool; 近道すれば highlights the action of shortcutting. Both are fine.

How does 近道で行けば differ from 近道を使えば?

近道で行けば: “If you go by way of the shortcut” (route/method with 行く).
近道を使えば: “If you use a shortcut” (direct object with 使う). Meaning overlaps; the verb choice shifts the framing slightly.

Why is the verb non-past (着く) if we’re talking about the future?

Japanese uses the non-past form for both present and future. In conditionals and predictions (with きっと, context, etc.), non-past naturally conveys a future outcome. Polite version: 着きます.

Can I move きっと or 早く around?

Common and natural: …きっと早く着く.
早くきっと着く sounds odd. Keep きっと before the predicate it modifies.
You can front きっと for emphasis: きっと、近道を使えば… (more rhetorical).
昼間でも usually sits before the predicate; it can move, but clarity and rhythm matter.

How do I form the 〜えば conditional for other words?

Godan (u-verbs): change final u to e
- ば → 書く→書けば, 行く→行けば.
Ichidan (ru-verbs): drop る, add れば → 食べる→食べれば.
い-adjectives: drop い, add ければ → 高い→高ければ.
Nouns/な-adjectives: なら or であれば → 静かなら/静かであれば, 学生なら/学生であれば. Irregulars: する→すれば, 来る→くれば.

Is きっと okay with negatives?

Yes. It means “surely will not…” For example: 彼はきっと来ない (“He surely won’t come”). You could say きっと早くは着かない (“surely won’t arrive early”), though that specific phrasing depends on context.

Are the spaces and the comma normal in Japanese writing?

Spaces: Normally not used in standard Japanese; they’re added in teaching materials to help learners parse words.
Comma (、): Optional but common after a conditional clause for readability. Writing 近道を使えば昼間でもきっと早く着く without it is also fine.

What are the readings (pronunciations) of the key words?

近道: ちかみち
使えば: つかえば (from 使うつかう)
昼間: ひるま
きっと: きっと
早く: はやく
着く: つく