それまでだIf… then it is all in vain, It's done, It is useless, No point, It is a waste, That's it, It is all gone,

ばそれまでだ is a hypothetical expression used when one wishes to indicate that ‘if (A) is reached, that’s as far as it will go’. This usually indicates that everything up to that point will unfortunately go to waste. Standard translations include ‘if (A), then it’s all been in vain’, ‘if (A), then all is a waste’, or ‘if (A), then there’s no point.

Although verbs combining with the conjunction particle ば is the standard form of this grammar structure. The conjunction particle たら may also occasionally be used.

Frequently this grammar structure will be seen in sentences that include ても or でも in the first half, with ばそれまでだ coming closer to the end. This indicates that ‘even if (A), if also (B), then there’s no point’.

Caution

と言(い)われればそれまでだ is a set expression that means ‘while it is true that (A), (B)’, or ‘although certainly (A), (B)’. It is often used for politely expressing one’s personal opinion in relation to something. This phrase literally means ‘if It were to be said that it was (A), then that’s all there is to it, but (B)’.