ばいい | Grammar

Structure

[verb (ば-form)] + いい [verb ない-form 〜ない → 〜なければ] + いい [i-adj 〜い → 〜ければ] + いい

Description

ばいい is the ば-form of a verb followed by いい: "it would be fine if you…", "all you have to do is…". It gives simple advice, and with a question word it asks for it. The verb changes its last sound to the え-row and takes ば: きけば聞けばいい, たべれば食べればいい, すればいい.

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If you don't understand, just ask the teacher.

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You can just look up the train times online.

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If you don't like it, just quit.

The advice is that the answer is easy. Said flatly to someone with a real problem, it can sound offhand; よ at the end makes it friendlier.

Asking what to do

With どう, なん何, どこ or いつ, ばいい asks for advice: "what should I…?". This is the usual way to ask, polite with ですか.

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What should I do?

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What time should we leave?

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I don't know who I should ask.

means the same here and is a little more conversational: .

ばいい or ほうがいい

is a recommendation: of the choices, this one is better, and you should take it. ばいい only says what would be enough.

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You should go to the hospital.

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If you need medicine, you can just go to the pharmacy by the station.

Hopes and wishes

Ending in な or なあ, ばいい says what you hope will happen.

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I hope it's sunny tomorrow.

With のに, it is a wish against the facts: "if only". Said about someone else, it turns into a complaint that they didn't do the obvious thing.

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If only I had more time.

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You should have said so sooner.

Examples

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What should I do?

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If you're free, you should just read a book or something.

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You can just look up the train times online.

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I hope the weather is nice tomorrow.

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Should I just press this button?

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If you don't like it, just quit.

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You can just take the bus to the station.

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If you forget your password, you can just reset it.

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What time should we leave?

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I wish I could become good at Japanese.

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I don't know who I should ask.

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If only I had a little more money.

References

ばいいBunpro