も～ば～も - Grammar Discussion

Grammar Points
#1

…and…

Structure

  • Noun1 + も + Verb[ ば ] + Noun2 + も + Verb
  • Noun1 + も + いAdj[ ければ ] + Noun2 + も + いAdj
  • Noun1 + も + Noun・なら + Noun2 + も + Noun
  • Noun1 + も + なAdj・なら + Noun2 + も + なAdj

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#2

Tobira gives it a few other meanings as well that I don’t see mentioned in the grammar point or the examples:

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#3

This still hasn’t been addressed. At least, I think adding something like “both~and~”/"~and~as well" would help to make this grammar clearer.

Source

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#4

Thanks for the suggestion!
I had added those to the translations.

Cheers :+1:

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#5

Is there any known reason why it uses the えば form? It never seems to be hypothetical.

I would love to understand this

#6

Hey there @DarkConfidant !

This ば form used here is how it was used in old Japanese and it seems like it is still being used here. Before 〜ば was used for hypothetical situations, it was used to describe how something ‘has already come true’, this form is called 已然形. For example, 彼は、スポーツも上手にできれば、仕事も効率よくできる。If we translate this sentence with the 已然形 in mind, this sentence has the nuance of ‘He can already play sports as well as he can work efficiently.’ Here, できれば does not mean ‘if he can do’, but ‘it is true that he can already do’.

We hope that this answers your question!

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#7

Thanks! That helps a lot!

#8

@Fuga

Sorry to resurrect this point a bit, but if ば isn’t being used to convey a hypothetical in this instance, then why does the grammar point still teach it to be as such as opposed to an exception to the rule? I personally get thrown off during reviews when the hint at the top of the card says “Hypothetical, inclusive” despite it not logically fitting with the sentence.