TAKOBOTO

if, when (verb form)
When I wake up

When (I) woke up late that night (my) breathing had become horribly irregular and difficult.

If I go to England will it be like that for me as well?

"I wish that I could give you something... "

Let me read the paper when you have done with it. [M]

I can take a good long rest when this work is finished.

If you won a million yen, what would you do?

We'll go out when this shower is over.

If your child drinks poison, rush him to the hospital.

If he is absent, we will not have a Japanese test.

If you ask him again, he may change his mind.

If I was a bird, I would like to fly around in the sky for the whole day long.

If you're drunk don't drive.

When I went to the cafeteria, I unintentionally saw Mary.

When Alice got up in the morning, she found that it was raining.

If you read the instructions first then you can make an IKEA flat furniture pack.

〜たら use for：
１．もし(if)
２．〜た後、〜てから、〜たとき(When.../ After...)
３．本当ではないのこと (If (I) was/could/would...., )
４．勧め(advice/suggestions) (Why don't (you/we)...)

誠

Formed like the plain past -ta form with ra added. 目覚める (mezameru) -> 目覚めたら (mezametara)

Amatuka

'If' type words like もし can be used to make the if/when distinction clear.

Amatuka

#5254 もしまず here is wordy. Also, it is always 読んだら、not 読んたら、. まず説明書を読んだら、／もし説明書を読んだら、would be better.

Miki

Note that it is unnatural to use -tara in circumstances in the past, where a volitional element is present. For example, if you wanted to say 'I stayed in an old ryokan when I went to Kyouto': 京都に行ったら、古い旅館に泊まりました This sentence is unnatural. Using ~tara in the past would only be used for states or circumstances, e.g. 教室に入ったら、小さなネコがいた

bi-ru

Maybe the following would be more natural: 「京都に行ったとき、古い旅館に泊まりました。」 「教室に入ったとき、小さなネコがいた。」

誠

教室に入ったら、小さな猫がいた。is fine enough. You cannot say which is more natural.

Miki

[#5897} Should use the subjunctive mood, not simple past: "If I were a bird..."

cacepi

そうそう。確か高校の時に、そう習いました。

Miki

Actually, the past tense usage of たら is okay, as long as the second phrase shows an uncontrollable situation. (BAD) 京都に行ったら、古い旅館に泊まりました。 (GOOD) 先生の説明を聞いたら、すぐ分かった。

Mukade