ばIf… then, (Conditional)

ば and と are both conditional expressions, but differ in nuance. ば emphasizes the condition that leads to a result, often with an 'if and only if' tone. と is used for habitual or automatic outcomes, suggesting that what follows happens naturally or inevitably when the condition is met.

ば is a conditional form that emphasizes the condition needed for a result, e.g. 勉強すればうまくなるよ ('If you study, you'll get better.'). ば〜ほど builds on this to mean 'the more (A), the more (B)' e.g. 勉強すればするほど、うまくなる ('The more you study, the better you'll get.').

ば and たら are both conditional forms, but with different nuances. ば emphasizes the condition itself, often with an 'if and only if' feel, e.g. 田中さんが来てくれれば何とかなる ('If Tanaka comes, it'll work out.'). たら sets up an hypothetical condition, which can be followed by a result, comment, or request, e.g. 田中さんが来てくれたら教えてね ('If/when Tanaka comes, let me know.').

ば and なら are both conditional forms, but with slightly different nuances. ば focuses on the condition itself, e.g. 田中さんが来てくれれば何とかなる ('If Tanaka comes, it'll work out.'). In contrast, なら has the nuance that the speaker has some reason to believe the condition is likely, e.g. 田中さんが来てくれるなら 'if Tanaka comes (as I expect he might)'.

もし and ば are both used in conditional expressions, but play different roles. ば is a grammatical ending that turns verbs into 'if' statements, e.g. 食べる 'eat' becoming 食べれば 'if (you) eat'. In contrast, もし is used at the start of sentences or phrases to emphasize that a hypothetical statement follows, and therefore is often paired with ば, たら, or なら, e.g. もし食べれば 'if (you) were to eat...'.