なら

なら means "if", in the sense "if that's the case": you take something the other person has said, or something you have just learned, and answer it with advice, a request or an opinion. It follows a plain-form verb or い-adjective, and a noun or な-adjective with nothing in between.

A noun or な-adjective never takes だ before なら.

• × 学生だなら → 学生なら
• × 暇だなら → 暇なら

Picking up a topic

After a noun, なら often means "if it's X you're after", "as for X". Someone has raised a subject, and you say what you know about it.

なら or たら

With たら, the second half comes after the condition is met. With なら, it can come first: you act now because of what is going to happen.

Swapping them changes the order of events: ×日本に行ったら、ビザを取ったほうがいい says to get the visa once you are already there.

と does not work in either sentence. It states what always follows when something happens, and it never takes advice or a request in the second half: ×日本に行くと、京都がおすすめです.

Usage notes

These go beyond plain なら.

のなら

With の (ん in speech) before it, なら leans harder on the condition: "if it's really true that…".

ならば

ならば is the longer, more formal form, at home in writing and announcements.