Grammar Info

N3 Lesson 9: 15/22

できればIf possible

Structure

できれば + Phrase
できたら + Phrase

Details

  • Register

    Standard

About できれば・できたら

Remembering that する has no potential form, the replacement る - Verb できる 'to amount to' will often be used in conjunction with particles, to indicate whether the possibility of amounting to something exists. The conjunction particles or たら will most frequently be used. できれば and できたら are usually translated simply as 'if possible'.

Both できれば and できたら will come at the start of a sentence, before the following statement will express some (desired) outcome.

Caution

As and たら are the only 'hypothetical' indicators that can express the process toward potential outcomes, using なら or と would be be illogical. This can be visualized as follows:

(A) できると - Will express the result after achieving (A), not what is required to get there.

(A) できるなら - As なら is just the hypothetical form of だ, It is used to make guesses about what could happen if the situation of (A) exists, not how that situation can be used to produce some other result.

Examples

--:--

    できたら運転(うんてん)して()しいです。

    If possible, I want you to drive.

    できれば弁当(べんとう)(つく)って()しいな。

    If possible, I would like you to make me a bento.

    できれば本人(ほんにん)()って(はなし)がしたい。

    If possible, I would like to talk with him directly.

    それができたら(うれ)しいんですけど。

    If it's possible for you to do that, I would appreciate it.

    できればあの会社(かいしゃ)(はたら)きたい。

    If possible, I want to work at that company.

  • Get more example sentences!

    Premium users get access to 12 example sentences on all Grammar Points.

Self-Study Sentences

Study your own way!

Add sentences and study them alongside Bunpro sentences.

できれば・できたら – Grammar Discussion

Most Recent Replies (6 in total)

  • mrnoone

    mrnoone

  • qc

    qc

    Remembering that する has no potential form

    Isn’t したい the potential form?

  • nekoyama

    nekoyama

    Only with a very positive upbringing, where your parents constantly told you that you can do (potential form → できる) everything you want to do (したい).

Got questions about できれば・できたら? Join us to discuss, ask, and learn together!

Join the Discussion