Learn Hardcore Japanese: kanozyo no kuhuu nara, kaigi ha kitto umaku iku. - With her ingenuity, the meeting will surely go well.

工夫 is “ingenuity,” “a clever device/tweak,” or “a creative way of doing something.” It implies skillful adjustment or an inventive approach, not just putting in effort. In this sentence, think “her ingenious idea/way of handling things.” You’ll also see the verb 工夫する (“to devise; to come up with a clever way”).

What does なら do in this sentence?

なら is a conditional topic marker, often read as “as for/if it’s ….” It limits the statement to that case: “If it’s her ingenuity (as opposed to someone else’s), then the meeting will surely go well.” It’s less mechanical than a pure “if,” and often assumes the topic is known or under discussion.

Why is there no だ before なら? Can I say 彼女の工夫だなら?

With nouns and na-adjectives, なら attaches directly: Nなら. You don’t use だ before it, so 彼女の工夫だなら is ungrammatical. Alternatives:

More colloquial: 彼女の工夫だったら
More formal: 彼女の工夫であれば or 彼女の工夫ならば

Could I use で instead: 彼女の工夫で、会議はきっとうまくいく? What’s the difference from なら?

Yes. Nで here marks means/cause: “Thanks to/By means of her ingenuity, the meeting will go well” (a more factual, causal feel). Nなら is a conditional limitation: “If we go with her ingenuity (in that case), it will go well.” The で version sounds more confident about causation; なら sets a condition or lens.

Why is は used after 会議? Could I use が instead?

Both are possible:

会議は marks the topic (often contrastive): “As for the meeting, it will surely go well (under that condition).”
会議が marks the grammatical subject with a more neutral focus: “The meeting will surely go well.” Using は here sounds natural because the なら clause has already set up a context and you’re commenting on the meeting within that context.

What does うまくいく literally mean, and how is it used?

Literally “to go well/smoothly.” It’s the adverb うまく (from the i-adjective うまい) + いく (行く). Common forms:

Past: うまくいった (It went well)
Negative: うまくいかない (It doesn’t go well)
Progressive: うまくいっている (It’s going well) It’s a very common set phrase for plans, events, relationships, projects, etc.

Can I say 上手にいく instead of うまくいく?

No, that’s unnatural. 上手に (“skillfully”) modifies actions someone performs (e.g., 上手に話す = speak skillfully). The fixed expression for “go well” is うまくいく.

What’s the nuance of きっと here? How is it different from たぶん or 必ず?

きっと: “surely/certainly” based on the speaker’s strong expectation. Often assertive; can be softened with でしょう/と思います.
たぶん: “probably,” weaker and more tentative; often used with でしょう.
必ず: “without fail,” very strong/guaranteed; sounds like a promise or certainty not just a hunch. So きっと conveys confident expectation without promising.

How would I make this sentence more polite or formal?

Polite: 彼女の工夫なら、会議はきっとうまくいきます。
Slightly softer: 彼女の工夫なら、会議はきっとうまくいくと思います。
More formal: 彼女の工夫であれば、会議はきっとうまくいくでしょう。

Does 彼女 mean “she” or “girlfriend” here?

It’s context-dependent. In a general or workplace context, 彼女 usually means “she/her.” In personal contexts it can mean “girlfriend.” In professional settings, using a name or title is often more appropriate than 彼女.

Is the word order fixed? Could I say 会議は、彼女の工夫なら、きっとうまくいく?

You can reorder for emphasis:

Typical: 彼女の工夫なら、会議はきっとうまくいく。 (sets the condition first)
Also possible: 会議は、彼女の工夫なら、きっとうまくいく。 The first is more natural because なら-clauses often come first to set the context.

Can I write うまくいく with kanji? What about いく vs ゆく?

You’ll often see it in kana: うまくいく. Kanji variants like 上手く行く or 旨く行く appear, but many style guides prefer kana here. Both いく and ゆく are acceptable spellings; ゆく is a bit more literary.

Why are there spaces between the words here? Are spaces normal in Japanese?

Spaces are typically for learners. In ordinary writing, Japanese doesn’t use spaces between words. The natural form is: 彼女の工夫なら、会議はきっとうまくいく。

Could I say 彼女が工夫すれば、会議はきっとうまくいく? How does that differ from 彼女の工夫なら?

Yes. 彼女が工夫すれば means “if she applies her ingenuity/comes up with a clever solution (at that time).” It focuses on her action. 彼女の工夫なら treats her idea/approach itself as the basis: “if it’s her idea we adopt.” Subtle shift from action to the idea as a chosen option.

Does なら imply contrast, like “her idea works, others’ don’t”?

It can. なら often has a limiting/contrastive nuance: the statement applies in that specific case. It doesn’t necessarily claim that other people’s ideas won’t work, but it can imply “at least in her case, it will.”