Japanese Language Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for students, teachers, and linguists wanting to discuss the finer points of the Japanese language. It only takes a minute to sign up.
Sign up to join this community
I'm reading a page in a grammar book about the usage of なら. It says that S1ならS2 cannot be used if the completion or actualization of S1 brings about S2. For example:
春子のアパートへ行くなら一郎がいた。
I kind of understand how S2 depends on S1 happening, but it's not very intuitive.
Would this sentence be correct? Or incorrect because of the previously mentioned rule?
今度の土曜日は働かなくてはいけないなら悲しい
なら in this case means assumption, the word "if" in English. After なら is usually placed the speaker's will, order, hope, or judgment.
Your second example is correct but the first one is incorrect as you said because it is odd that a fact is placed after an assumption.
If it is 春子のアパートへ行ったら、一郎がいた, it makes sense and translates to "I went to Haruko's apartment, then Ichiro was there.
