Learn Hardcore Japanese: ansyoubangou wo wasuretara, okane wo orosemasen. - If you forget your PIN, you can't withdraw money.

暗証番号（あんしょうばんごう） – PIN code, personal identification number
- 暗（あん） – dark / secret
- 証（しょう） – proof
- 番号（ばんごう） – number
を – object marker
忘れたら（わすれたら） – if you forget / when you forget
- 忘れる（わすれる） – to forget
- たら – if / when conditional
お金（おかね） – money
を – object marker
おろせません（おろせません） – cannot withdraw (polite)
- おろす – to withdraw (money from a bank), to lower
- おろせる – can withdraw (potential form)
- おろせません – cannot withdraw (potential negative, polite)

Whole meaning: If you forget your PIN, you cannot withdraw money.

Why does 暗証番号 use を with 忘れる? I thought が often marks what you forget.

忘れる can take either を or が, but を is more common in everyday speech for direct objects.

暗証番号を忘れた – I forgot my PIN.
暗証番号が忘れられない – I can’t forget the PIN. (Often with passive/potential forms)

In this sentence, 暗証番号 is the direct object of 忘れる, so を is used in the usual transitive-verb way:
(あなたは) 暗証番号を忘れたら… – If you forget the PIN…

Using が here would sound odd; with simple past 忘れた, use を.

What exactly does 忘れたら mean? Why is it past tense + ら if the meaning is future (if you forget)?

忘れたら is:

忘れた – past form of 忘れる
ら – conditional ending

In Japanese, た-form + ら is a very common way to say if / when:

行ったら – if / when (someone) goes
雨が降ったら – if / when it rains

Even though 忘れた is a past form, 忘れたら often refers to a future or hypothetical situation:

暗証番号を忘れたら、お金をおろせません。
If you (happen to) forget your PIN, you can’t withdraw money.

It can sometimes be translated as when (for expected events) or if (for possible events); context decides which sounds more natural in English.

Does 忘れたら mean “if you forget” or “when you forget”? What nuance does たら have here?

In this case, both translations are possible, but the nuance is closer to if you forget:

It describes a possible condition: maybe you will forget, maybe you won’t.
The result depends on that condition.

When you forget sounds like it will definitely happen sooner or later. Japanese can also mean that with たら, but here, because it’s a general rule about ATMs and PINs, English if you forget fits better.

So nuance: conditional (if) rather than inevitable timing (when).

What is おろす exactly? Why does it mean “withdraw money”?

おろす is a verb that has several related meanings:

To lower / take something down
- 旗をおろす – lower a flag
- 荷物をおろす – take luggage down
To drop someone off
- ここでおろしてください。 – Please let me off here.
To withdraw money from a bank / ATM
- 銀行からお金をおろす – withdraw money from the bank

The idea is: the money is brought down from the bank’s account into your hands. That extended meaning is why お金をおろす = withdraw money.

You may also see お金を引き出す with the same meaning, but お金をおろす is very common in conversation.

What form is おろせません? How is it formed from おろす?

Base verb: おろす (to withdraw / lower)

Make the potential form (can do):
- おろす → おろせる (can withdraw)
Make the negative polite:
- おろせる → おろせません (cannot withdraw; polite)

So:

おろす – withdraw
おろせる – can withdraw
おろせない – cannot withdraw (plain)
おろせません – cannot withdraw (polite)

In the sentence, おろせません states an inability / impossibility, not a refusal. It means it’s not possible (for you) to withdraw money.

Why is there no subject like “you” in the Japanese sentence?

Japanese often omits subjects and objects when they’re clear from context.

In 暗証番号を忘れたら、お金をおろせません, the full idea is:

(あなたが) 暗証番号を忘れたら、(あなたは) お金をおろせません。

But:

We’re usually talking about a general rule for ATM use.
You is obvious from context (e.g., instructions, warnings).

So it’s more natural in Japanese to leave out あなた and just say the bare condition and result.

In English we need a subject, so we translate it as If you forget your PIN, you can’t withdraw money.

Why is there a comma after 忘れたら? Is it grammatically required?

The comma after 忘れたら:

Visually separates the condition from the result:
- [暗証番号を忘れたら]、[お金をおろせません]。
Makes the sentence easier to read.

It is not strictly required; you could write:

暗証番号を忘れたらお金をおろせません。

and it would still be grammatically correct. However, in printed materials and teaching texts, the comma is very common and recommended for clarity.

Could the word order be changed, like お金を暗証番号を忘れたらおろせません? Does Japanese word order matter here?

That example お金を暗証番号を忘れたらおろせません is unnatural.

Basic rules here:

The conditional clause (暗証番号を忘れたら) should stay together.
The object of the main verb (お金を) comes in the main clause (おろせません).

Natural structure:

暗証番号を忘れたら、お金をおろせません。
[If you forget your PIN], [you can’t withdraw money].

You can reorder some elements inside clauses, but you should not break:

暗証番号を忘れたら

by inserting other elements in the middle. That confuses where the condition ends and the main statement begins.

Is this sentence polite or casual? How would it look in a more casual form?

暗証番号を忘れたら、お金をおろせません。 is polite:

おろせません is 〜ません style.

A more casual version could be:

暗証番号を忘れたら、お金おろせないよ。
暗証番号忘れたら、お金おろせないよ。

Changes:

おろせません → おろせない (plain negative)
Optionally add よ for a friendly tone
You can drop を after お金 in casual speech, though お金をおろせない is also fine.

Why is it お金 instead of just 金? What does the お do?

The お in お金（おかね） is an honorific / polite prefix. It often:

Makes the word sound softer / more polite.
Is used for everyday important things (especially in polite or neutral speech).

Examples:

お茶（おちゃ） – tea
お米（おこめ） – rice (grain)
お水（おみず） – water

With 金（かね）, saying just 金 can sound a bit blunt, rough, or male-speech-like, depending on context. お金 is the neutral, common word for money in standard polite or normal conversation.

In the sentence, お金 is the natural choice because this kind of statement is like an instruction / explanation, not rough talk.

Could you use と instead of たら, like 暗証番号を忘れると、お金をおろせません? What’s the difference?

Yes, 暗証番号を忘れると、お金をおろせません。 is also grammatically correct and natural.

Nuance differences:

忘れたら
- Feels more like if (you happen to) forget.
- Very common in conversation.
- Often used for hypothetical conditions.
忘れると
- Often implies a more automatic, general cause-effect:
  - If you forget your PIN (whenever that happens), you can’t withdraw money.
- Sounds a bit more like stating a rule, which also fits this context well.

In this particular sentence, both 忘れたら and 忘れると work.
たら sounds slightly more colloquial and flexible; と sounds slightly more formal and rule-like, but the difference is subtle here.

Why is it おろせません (negative potential) and not just おろしません (negative plain verb)? Are they different?

Yes, they are different:

おろしません – do not withdraw (polite)
- Focus on the action not being done.
- Could sound like won’t withdraw (a choice).
おろせません – cannot withdraw (polite)
- Focus on inability / impossibility.
- Means it is not possible to withdraw.

In context:

暗証番号を忘れたら、お金をおろしません。
If you forget your PIN, (I / we) will not withdraw your money.
→ Sounds like someone’s decision/policy.
暗証番号を忘れたら、お金をおろせません。
If you forget your PIN, you cannot withdraw money.
→ Describes an inability (e.g., the machine won’t allow it).

Since the sentence is explaining a rule and a limitation, おろせません is the natural and correct choice.