Japanese from zero · N3 Lesson 12
The party
〜ばよかった / 〜ば〜のに ・ 〜た途端 ・ 〜てはじめて ・ 〜つもりだった
In this lesson, you will learn to say what you should have done with 〜ばよかった and 〜ば〜のに, to say that something happened the moment you did something with 〜た途端, to say you did not understand until something happened with 〜てはじめて, and to say what you meant to do with 〜つもりだった. It is Sakura's birthday party at café みどり, and Minju arrives late.
By the end you will be able to say
言って くれれば よかったのに。You could have just told me.
ドアを 開けた 途端、全部 わかった。The moment I opened the door, I understood everything.
ここに 来て はじめて、知った。I didn't know until I came here.
言う つもりだったけど、言えなかった。I meant to tell you, but I couldn't.
もっと 早く 話せば よかった。I should have told you sooner.
The grammar in this lesson
- 〜ばよかった / 〜ば〜のに — should have; if only — The ば-form + よかった says 'I should have'; add のに for 'if only' or a complaint.
- 〜た途端 — the moment (that) — The た-form + 途端(に) says something happened the instant another thing was done.
- 〜てはじめて — not until — The て-form + はじめて says you understood or did something only after another thing.
- 〜つもりだった — I meant to; I thought I had — つもりだった says what you meant to do and didn't, or what you wrongly thought you had done.