if / when / after — conditional & sequential
Form: attach 〜ら to the plain past. Verbs: 食べた → 食べたら, 行った → 行ったら. イ-adjectives: 暑い → 暑かったら. ナ-adjectives & nouns: 静か → 静かだったら, 学生 → 学生だったら.
Meaning: the widest, most useful conditional. Covers both if (hypothetical) and when (certain future event, followed by a natural next step). The main clause always describes what happens after the たら-clause is true — never simultaneous.
Key rule: the second clause can be almost anything — command (着いたら電話して), suggestion (時間があったら見ましょう), volitional, past experience (日本に行ったら…だった = when I went to Japan, …).
vs. なら: topic-first hypothetical — if we're talking about X, then… (日本に行くなら、京都がいい if you're going to Japan, Kyoto is good). vs. と: automatic natural consequence, no volitional main clause (春になると、桜が咲く). vs. ば: more general/timeless conditional; can't easily take a command in the main clause.
Furigana is above every kanji; the pattern is already filled in.
時間が、映画を見ましょう。
If we have time, let's watch a movie.
駅に着いたら、電話してください。
When you arrive at the station, please call me.
この本を読んだら貸してね。
Once you've read this book, lend it to me, okay?