ば

Meanings

1. Particle, Conjunction if ... then; when
2. and (often ...も...ば...も...)
3. Particle why don't you ...? (sentence final)
4. Particle, Conjunction the more (one does something) (often ...ば...ほど)
5. because; since

Example sentences

• 長い目で見れば違ってくると思います。
  I suppose it's different when you think about it over the long term.
• それをするためには危険を冒さなければならない。
  In order to do that, you have to take risks.
• たぶん彼にしてみれば同じことよ。
  Maybe it will be exactly the same for him.
• 歌詞を見てみれば、あまり意味が無いことに気付くでしょう。
  If you look at the lyrics, they don't really mean much.
• 私達がしなければならないことそれぞれの背後には自分たちがしたい何かがあると思うんだ。
  I suppose that behind each thing we have to do, there's something we want to do...

Common phrases

• どちらかと言えば if anything
• 本来であれば (ほんらいであれば) by all rights
• 厳密に言えば (げんみつにいえば) strictly speaking
• 逆に言えば (ぎゃくにいえば) if anything

Words containing ば

• 出来れば (できれば) if possible
• なんば predicament
• 勝てば官軍 (かてばかんぐん) might is right

And 219 more.

Jinuma: Japanese Dictionary · Word lists