Structure
Verb[volitional] + ものなら/もんなら + Phrase
Details
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Standard
Rare Kanji
物
About ものなら②
ものなら is a combination of the noun もの ‘thing’, and the hypothetical form of the auxiliary verb だ, なら ‘if’. Common translations include ‘If you were to (A), (B)’, of ‘if (A) happens, (B)’. In this particular use of ものなら, (A) will be a verb in its volitional form, and (B) will be some sort of negative result that would come about from that. Let’s have a look at a few examples.
Keeping in mind that the volitional form can mean to approach an action with reckless abandon, it can be thought of as being similar to the English ‘to go and do (A)’, where the ‘to go and’ just indicates proceeding ahead without carefully considering the outcome.
Fun Fact
なら is often translated as ‘if’ in many textbooks and online resources, but knowing that it is just a conjugation of だ ‘is’, the more literal translation is ‘were’. This ‘were’ behaves exactly the same way in English in hypothetical situations, so may potentially be better if you would like to avoid confusion between other ‘if’ grammar patterns like ば, と, and たら. An example of this can be seen in sentences like ‘were it to rain tomorrow, then I would need an umbrella’. Because of this, it is recommended to memorize なら purely as ‘were’, rather than the ‘if’ interpretation that is usually attached to it.
Examples
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しのぶさんはとても血を恐れている。万が一、一滴でも血を見ようものなら気絶してしまうはずだ。
Shinobu is completely terrified of blood. If she were to see even one drop of it by chance, she would faint for sure.
ブラッド・ピットに出逢おうものなら、死んでしまう。
If I were to run into Brad Pitt, I would die.
秘密を打ち明けようものなら、彼女はすぐに他の奴らにしゃべってしまうだろう。
If you happen to tell her a secret, she will quickly spill it to others.
万が一このプロジェクトが失敗しようものなら、我々は終わりだ。
If this project were to fail, we'd be finished.
うっかり彼のお菓子を食べようものなら、きっと、ものすごく彼にしかられるはずだ。
If you were to go and eat his sweets, you would be scolded for sure.
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