ば～のに (ba~noni)
～ば～のに — if only ～, then ～ (regret)
Pattern
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ば形 ＋ 〜のに（現在の反対）present counterfactual: あれば、できるのに (if I had it, I could) -
ば形 ＋ 〜たのに（過去の反対）past counterfactual: 勉強すれば、合格できたのに
Contrary to reality
The condition is not true, and the speaker feels that is a pity: お金があれば旅行できるのに means “I have no money, so I can't travel.” The のに at the end carries the complaint or regret and leaves the sentence open.
Present and past
For the present, the ending is the present form (できるのに). For the past, it is the past form (できたのに). Because it can sound like blame when aimed at someone (電話をくれれば…迎えに行ったのに), use it carefully.
Examples
-
お金（かね）があれば、旅行（りょこう）できるのに。
Okane ga areba, ryokō dekiru noni.
If only I had money, I could travel.
-
もっと勉強（べんきょう）すれば、合格（ごうかく）できたのに。
Motto benkyō sureba, gōkaku dekita noni.
If only you had studied more, you could have passed.
-
電話（でんわ）をくれれば、駅（えき）まで迎（むか）えに行（い）ったのに。
Denwa o kurereba, eki made mukae ni itta noni.
If only you had called, I would have gone to pick you up at the station.
Common mistakes
- The ending のに here is regret, not the “although” の に in the middle of a sentence. Do not add a main verb after it.
- Not for real, still-possible conditions. For those, use ～ば～ます (If you do, ...).
More grammar points
- どんなに～ても どんなに～ても — no matter how ～
- いくら～ても いくら～ても — no matter how much ～
- もしも〜たら もしも～たら — if ever ～ (hypothetical)
- ないと ～ないと — if you don't ～, then ～ (so you must ～)
- にしても ～にしても — even if ～ / even granting ～
- さえ～ば ～さえ～ば — if only ～ / as long as ～
- たとえ～ても たとえ～ても — “even if ～”
- たって ～たって — casual “even if ～”
- とすれば・としたら・とすると とすれば／としたら／とすると — “supposing ～ / if ～”
- かぎり ～かぎり — “as long as ～ / as far as ～”
- 上（あ）げる ～上げる — to finish ～ completely
- あまり あまりの～に — so ～ that ～
- あまりにも あまりにも — far too ～, excessively
- 合（あ）う ～合う — do ～ to each other; to fit, to suit
- ばいい ～ばいい — you just have to ～, it is fine to just ～
- ばよかった ～ばよかった — I should have ～, if only I had ～
- ば～ほど ～ば～ほど — the more ～, the more ～
- ばかりで ～ばかりで — only ～ (and nothing else, with a negative feeling)
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