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?

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

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

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

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

We'll go out when this shower is over.

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

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

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

If you're drunk don't drive.

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.

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

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

〜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