ブラッド・ピットに出逢（であ）おう<strong>ものなら</strong>、死（し）んでしまう。

しのぶ<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='113'>さん</span>は<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='178'>とても</span>血（ち）を恐（おそ）れている。万（まん）が一（いち）、一滴（いってき）<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='166'>でも</span>血（ち）を見（み）よう<strong>ものなら</strong>気絶（きぜつ）してしまうはずだ。

秘密（ひみつ）を打（う）ち明（あ）けよう<strong>ものなら</strong>、<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='567'>彼女（かのじょ）</span>はすぐに他（ほか）の奴（やつ）らにしゃべってしまうだろう。

万（まん）が一（いち）<span class='gp-popout vocab-popout' data-gp-id='30' data-vocab-id='91'>この</span>プロジェクトが失敗（しっぱい）しよう<strong>ものなら</strong>、我々（われわれ）は<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='873'>終（お）わり</span>だ。

うっかり<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='564'>彼（かれ）</span>の<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='59'>お菓子（かし）</span>を食（た）べよう<strong>ものなら</strong>、きっと、ものすごく<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='564'>彼（かれ）</span>にしかられるはずだ。

<span class='gp-popout vocab-popout' data-gp-id='5' data-vocab-id='95'>これ</span>は<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='474'>大変（たいへん）</span>デリケートな機械（きかい）<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='154'>だから</span>もし<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='527'>少（すこ）し</span><span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='166'>でも</span><span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='396'>力（ちから）</span>を入（い）れよう<strong>ものなら</strong>壊（こわ）れるかもしれない。

<div class='writeup-body'><span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='941'>ものなら</span> is a combination of the noun もの ‘thing’, and the <span class='info-highlight' data-term='仮定形・かていけい'>hypothetical form</span> of the <span class='info-highlight' data-term='助動詞・じょどうし'>auxiliary verb</span> だ, なら ‘if’. Common translations include ‘If you were to (A), (B)’, of ‘if (A) happens, (B)’. In this particular use of <span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='941'>ものなら</span>, (A) will be a verb in its volitional form, and (B) will be some sort of negative result that would come about from that. Let’s have a look at a few examples.<ul class='writeup-examples--holder'>
 <li class='writeup-example'>
<div class='writeup-example--japanese'>
彼女（かのじょ）の誕生日（たんじょうび）を忘（わす）れよう<span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='941'>ものなら</span>、一日中（いちにちじゅう）機嫌（きげん）が悪（わる）くなる。</div><div class='writeup-example--english'>
If you were to forget her birthday, she would be in a bad mood all day.</div></li><li class='writeup-example'><div class='writeup-example--japanese'>


このレポートを出（だ）し忘（わす）れよう<span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='941'>ものなら</span>、今（いま）までの努力（どりょく）が水（みず）の泡（あわ）だ。</div><div class='writeup-example--english'>
All of our efforts would be worth nothing, if I happen to forget to submit this paper.</div></li><li class='writeup-example'><div class='writeup-example--japanese'> 


以前（いぜん）同（おな）じようなことで炎上（えんじょう）したから、また似（に）たようなことで炎上（えんじょう）しよう<span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='941'>ものなら</span>この業界（ぎょうかい）から干（ほ）されるに違（ちが）いない。</div><div class='writeup-example--english'>
Since we went under fire with something similar before, if we go under fire for something similar again, I am sure we would be sidelined from this industry.</div></li></ul>
Keeping in mind that the volitional form can mean to approach an action with reckless abandon, it can be thought of as being similar to the English ‘to go and do (A)’, where the ‘to go and’ just indicates proceeding ahead without carefully considering the outcome.
<div class='writeup-funfact'><div class='funfact-header'>Fun Fact</div>なら is often translated as ‘if’ in many textbooks and online resources, but knowing that it is just a conjugation of だ ‘is’, the more literal translation is ‘were’. This ‘were’ behaves exactly the same way in English in hypothetical situations, so may potentially be better if you would like to avoid confusion between other ‘if’ grammar patterns like ば, と, and たら. An example of this can be seen in sentences like ‘were it to rain tomorrow, then I would need an umbrella’. Because of this, it is recommended to memorize なら purely as ‘were’, rather than the ‘if’ interpretation that is usually attached to it.</div></div>

Grammar Info

ものなら ②

If you were to do, If you try to, If … happens, Should there be