N5 Lesson 25 · Midnight Noir にほんご / Series 1 · みんなの日本語 第 25 課

Coming Soon — Video will be published shortly.

日本語で読む / Show Japanese

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Episode 25: If and Even If

Every spy carries a hundred conditionals. If the contact arrives. If the door is open. Even if the weather turns. Even if the money runs out. The two words 「たら」 and 「ても」 hold a thousand possible futures.
スパイ は、 百の条件文を抱える。 コンタクト が来たら。 扉が開いていたら。 たとえ天気が変わっても。 たとえ金が尽きても。「たら」 と「ても」 の二語に、 千の可能な未来が宿る。

The current mission has an end date. He has written it on a small piece of paper, folded inside his passport. Then a quieter thought.
今の ミッション には、 終了日。 小さな紙に書き、 パスポート の中に折り畳んである。 そして、 ひとつの静かな思考。

Tonight\’s plan does not change. Storm or no storm.
今夜の計画は、 変わらない。 嵐があろうと、 なかろうと。

Far ahead — after the mission, after the secrets, after the cover identity dissolves — one wish. Modest. Patient.
遠い未来 ── ミッション の後、 秘密の後、 カバー 身分 が溶けた後 ── ひとつの願い。 控えめで、 忍耐強い。

And one quiet faith. The friend who knows but never asks. The friend who will not turn away, whatever the truth is.
そして、 ひとつの静かな信頼。 知っているが、 決して問わない友。 真実が何であれ、 背を向けない友。

→ Related chapter (Chapter 5: The Locked Room)
Available in 日本語 / English / 中文 / 繁體中文 / Tiếng Việt

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Key Sentences

1. V-たら、 main (when / if X happens)

• When work ends, Mike returns home.
• 工作结束的话，麦克回家。 / 工作結束的話，麥克回家。
• Khi công việc kết thúc, Mike sẽ về nhà.

2. V-ても、 main (even if)

• Even if it rains, Mike will go.
• 就算下雨，麦克也会去。 / 就算下雨，麥克也會去。
• Dù trời mưa, Mike vẫn sẽ đi.

3. V-たら、 V-たい (if X, want Y)

• If (he) had money, Mike would want to go to Kyoto.
• 如果有钱，麦克想去京都。 / 如果有錢，麥克想去京都。
• Nếu có tiền, Mike muốn đi Kyoto.

4. N でも、 main (even if it is a N)

• Even if Mike is a spy, (his) friend believes (in him).
• 就算麦克是间谍，朋友也相信他。 / 就算麥克是間諜，朋友也相信他。
• Dù Mike có là điệp viên, người bạn vẫn tin tưởng.

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Vocabulary

日本語	English	简体	繁體	Tiếng Việt
V-たら	if / when	如果 / 的话	如果 / 的話	nếu
V-ても	even if	就算 / 即使	就算 / 即使	dù
もし	if (emphatic)	如果	如果	nếu
終おoわります	end, finish	结束	結束	kết thúc
始はじhajiまります	begin	开始	開始	bắt đầu
信しんshinじます	believe, trust	相信	相信	tin
お金かねkane	money	钱	錢	tiền
暇ひまhima	free (time)	空闲	空閒	rảnh
天気てんきtenki	weather	天气	天氣	thời tiết
未来みらいmirai	future	未来	未來	tương lai
過去かこkako	past	过去	過去	quá khứ
真実しんじつshinjitsu	truth	真相	真相	sự thật

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Grammar Patterns

Grammar Picture

〜たら vs 〜と vs 〜ば — conditionals compared

Three conditionals with overlapping uses:

• 〜たら: most versatile. Past condition, hypothetical, polite suggestion. Use this when in doubt.
• 〜と (L23): natural / inevitable result, directions, habits.
• 〜ば (L35): formal, written, used in proverbs.

For N5 / N4, 〜たら handles most needs. Build comfort with it first.

〜ても — concessive nuance

「〜ても」 = ‘even if’. The main clause holds REGARDLESS of the condition.

• 雨が 降っても、 行きます。 = Even if it rains, (I) will go.
• 高くても、 買います。 = Even if it is expensive, (I) will buy it.

Often paired with 「もし」 for emphasis: 「もし 雨が 降っても」.

Cultural pattern — Japanese conditionals are common

Japanese uses conditionals frequently in daily speech — far more than English. Listen for:

• 「よかったら 一緒に 行きませんか?」 = If you would like, would you like to come together?
• 「もしよければ …」 = If it is OK …
• 「忙しかったら 大丈夫です」 = If you are busy, it is fine.

Soft conditionals are part of polite invitation and refusal — master 〜たら and your everyday Japanese becomes more natural immediately.

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Roleplay Practice

Scene: Two friends plan a trip with weather uncertainty.

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How do you say this in Japanese?

Lesson 25 closes Series 1 of Midnight Noir にほんご. Stay tuned for the next Series.

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How to Use This Lesson

For Self-Study (45 minutes)

1. Read Grammar Patterns (5 min) — note 〜たら conjugation across noun, adj, verb.
2. Practice Key Sentences (10 min).
3. Learn Vocabulary (10 min).
4. Read Mini Story (5 min) — the closing chapter of Series 1.
5. Roleplay (10 min) — 3 conditionals + 3 concessives about your week.
6. Review tomorrow — and review all 25 lessons.

Check Yourself (click to expand)

Q1. What is the たら form of 「終わります」?

• A. 終おoわるたら
• B. 終おoわったら
• C. 終おoわりたら

Show answer

✓ B. 終おoわったら

Take the た-form, add ら.

Q2. Which means ‘Even if it rains’?

• A. 雨あめameが 降ふfuったら
• B. 雨あめameが 降ふfuっても
• C. 雨あめameが 降ふfuると

Show answer

✓ B. 雨あめameが 降ふfuっても

Q3. 「学生でも」 means:

• A. as a student
• B. even if (I am / he is) a student
• C. for students

Show answer

✓ B. even if a student

N でも = even if (it is) N.

Q4. In the Mini Story, what does Mike\’s friend do, even if Mike is a spy?

• A. 信しんshinじます (believes / trusts)
• B. Reports him
• C. Leaves

Show answer

✓ A. 信しんshinじます

Q5. Write: One thing you will do, EVEN IF something difficult happens.

Try 「〜ても、 〜ます」.

Show answer

Sample: 雨あめameが 降ふfuっても、 わたしは 学校がっこうgakkouに 行いiきます。 (Even if it rains, I will go to school.)

For Teachers (click to expand)

For Teachers (45-60 minutes in class)

• Warm-up (5 min): “If you had a free day, what would you do?” — Each student answers.
• たら drill (10 min): Convert 10 sentences to 〜たら form. Cover verb, noun, adj.
• ても drill (10 min): Pairs of conditional sentences. Switch from 〜たら to 〜ても — feel the nuance shift.
• Hypothetical interview (10 min): “If you won 100,000 yen, what would you do?” — Students chain conditionals.
• Roleplay (15 min): Travel planning with contingencies.
• Series review (5 min): Celebrate completing 25 N5 lessons!

Final note: Series 1 is complete. Students have built a foundation of N5 grammar through the Midnight Noir story. Ready for N4 — Series 2 will reuse these structures with more sophisticated vocabulary and longer narrative arcs.

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