JLPT N4・N5 Grammar – Difference between “〜とき” and “〜たら”
Table of Contents
1. Difference between “〜とき” and “〜たら”
2. とき
3. たら
4. Let’s Compare
5. Summary
6. Similar Articles
7. Comment
Q: What is the difference between “〜とき” and “〜たら”?
A: “〜とき” mainly refers to a specific time, while “〜たら” indicates a state that is completed in the future.
Let’s take a closer look.
とき (JLPT N5)
[Usage]
It represents a specific time or moment. It is used for moments or situations in the past, present, or future.
[Rules]
[V] Verb dictionary form, past form, negative form＋とき
[A] い adjective plain form＋とき
い adjective negative form＋とき
[Na] な adjective＋とき
な adjective negative form＋とき
[N] Noun＋の＋とき
Noun negative form＋とき
[Examples]
祖父は新聞を読むとき、めがねをかけます。
When my grandfather reads the newspaper, he puts on his glasses.
部屋を使わないとき、電気を消してください。
Please turn off the lights when you’re not using the room.
さびしいときは電話してください。
When you’re feeling lonely, give me a call.
ひまなとき、いつもカフェでコーヒーを飲んでいます。
When I have free time, I always drink coffee at a café.
雨じゃないときに、スカイツリーに上りましょう。
Let’s go up the Tokyo Skytree when it’s not raining.
If you want to learn how to differentiate between “とき” and “ころ,”
please read this article.
たら (JLPT N4)
[Usage]
It is used after an action or state has been completed in the future. It indicates something that happens after something else has occurred.
[Rule]
[V] Verb た form＋ら
[Examples]
駅に着いたら電話してください。
Please call me when you arrive at the station.
夏休みになったら国に帰るつもりです。
I plan to go back to my home country when summer vacation starts.
12時になったら昼ご飯を食べましょう。
Let’s have lunch when it’s 12 o’clock.
大学を卒業したら会社で働きます。
I will work for a company after I graduate from university.
うちに帰ったらテレビを見ます。
I will watch TV when I get home.
Let’s Compare
The Difference Between “とき” and “たら”
“とき” refers to a specific time or moment. “たら” can be used to express conditions, recommendations, or desires, but here we will focus on its use to indicate the future.
In situations like the following examples, either expression can be used. However, when comparing the two, “とき” emphasizes the specific time of the earthquake, while “たら” carries the nuance of imagining the earthquake happening in the future.
[Examples]
◯ 地震のときは、ここに逃げてください。
In the event of an earthquake, please escape here.
◯ 地震が来たら、ここに逃げてください。
When an earthquake comes, please escape here.
Now, which of the following sentences do you think is more appropriate?
仕事が終わったとき電話します。
When my work is finished, I will call you.
VS
仕事が終わったら電話します。
I will call you after my work is finished.
In this case, “たら” is more appropriate.
While “仕事が終わる” (when my work is finished) seems to refer to a specific point in time, the focus here is on the action that will happen after the work is completed, and on the time moving forward into the future.
「とき」
Now, let’s think about the following sentences from the perspective of specific time and timing.
[Examples]
祖父は新聞を読むとき、めがねをかけます。
When my grandfather reads the newspaper, he puts on his glasses.
⇒ This refers to the specific time of “when he reads the newspaper.” Also, since this is a habitual action, “とき” is appropriate.
雨じゃないときに、スカイツリーに上りましょう。
Let’s go up the Tokyo Skytree when it’s not raining.
⇒ This refers to the specific timing of “when it’s not raining.”
「たら」
Now, let’s think from the perspective of focusing on the future.
[Examples]
駅に着いたらメールしてね。
When you arrive at the station, send me a message.
10時になったら起こしてください。
Please wake me up when it’s 10 o’clock.
⇒ Both of these sentences envision events that will occur in the future. The difference from “とき” is that “たら” refers to actions or events that happen after the completion of the first action (～たら).
*Note
The sentence “雨じゃなかったらスカイツリーに上りましょう” is also correct, but it represents a conditional statement (“if it doesn’t rain”), not a future event. Be careful not to confuse the two.
Summary
[〜とき]
- Represents a specific time or moment.
- It is used for moments or situations in the past, present, or future.
[〜たら]
- It is used after an action or state has been completed in the future.
- It represents something that happens after something else has occurred.
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