ものなら
- 1If it were at all possible to do something the speaker considers unlikely, they would want to do it.Ex. 1
- 2If someone were to do something, a serious or unpleasant result would follow.Ex. 3
Verb (volitional form)The form meaning "let's …" or "I'll …", ending in う／よう; also called the volitional form.
行こう・食べよう・しよう・来（こ）よう
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In sense 1, the main clause usually expresses a wish or desire, such as 〜たい or 〜てみたい, about something the speaker doubts can happen. In sense 2, the main clause states a negative consequence. The pattern is common in both conversation and writing. Unlike plain たら, it signals that the condition is felt to be unlikely or risky.
Do not use sense 1 for actions that are easily achievable, because the pattern implies the condition is unlikely or impossible.
Note that with the volitional form, the main clause normally describes a bad or troublesome result, not a wish.
Learners should attach sense 1 to a potential-form verb such as できる or 戻れる, not an ordinary dictionary-form verb.
- 1.ないものかN1「ないものか」is similar to 「ものなら」with the potential form, since both express a longing for something hard to achieve; however, 「ないものか」attaches to the negative form and itself expresses a wish, whereas 「ものなら」sets up the preceding clause as a hypothesis followed by a wish, so they cannot be directly swapped. 「ないものか」tends to be more literary.
- 2.たらN4「たら」can attach to verbs, adjectives, and nouns, and can describe things very likely to happen; it can also mean 'after...' or an unexpected discovery. 「ものなら」only attaches to the potential or volitional form and emphasizes that the preceding item is hard to achieve or has major consequences.
- 3.としたら / とすればN3「としたら/とすれば」is a tentative assumption regardless of likelihood; it can attach to nouns and adjectives and is followed by conjecture or judgment. 「ものなら」only attaches to the potential or volitional form of a verb and stresses difficulty of realization or serious consequences, so the two generally cannot be interchanged.
- 4.ないものでもないN1「ないものでもない」attaches to the negative form of a verb and expresses a reluctant, qualified affirmation of 'it's not that... doesn't...', tending toward written style; 「ものなら」attaches to the potential or volitional form and expresses a hypothesis. The two differ in meaning and cannot be interchanged.
- 5.〜さえ〜ばN3「さえ〜ば」emphasizes that satisfying this one condition is enough, without presupposing that the preceding item is hard to achieve, and it can also take 「のに」to express regret; 「ものなら」instead hypothesizes something hard to achieve or warns of serious consequences, so the two generally cannot be interchanged.
「ものなら」only attaches to the potential or volitional form of a verb: with the potential form it hypothesizes something hard to achieve, followed by a wish or a challenge, while 「〜ようものなら」means that if something were to happen it would trigger a big reaction, usually serious consequences.
