ば

See also: ほ, は, ぱ, and Appendix:Variations of "pa"

ば U+3070, ば
HIRAGANA LETTER BA
Composition:は [U+306F] + ◌゙ [U+3099]
← は
[U+306F] 		Hiragana ぱ →
[U+3071]

Japanese
Stroke order
5 strokes

Etymology 1

The hiragana character は (ha) with a dakuten (゛).

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): [ba̠]

Syllable

ば • (ba) 

  1. The hiragana syllable ば (ba). Its equivalent in katakana is バ (ba).
See also

Etymology 2

From Old Japanese. Appears in the Man'yōshū, completed 759 CE.[1]

Originally an extension of the topic particle は (wa),[2] for which the Old Japanese pronunciation is reconstructed as */pa/. The pa changes to ba as an instance of rendaku (連濁).

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): [ba̠]

Particle

ば • (-ba) 

  1. In Modern Japanese, attaches to the kateikei, and in Classical Japanese, attaches to the mizenkei, to express the hypothetical condition: if
    雨(あめ)が降(ふ)れば遠(えん)足(そく)を中(ちゅう)止(し)する。
    Ame ga fureba ensoku o chūshi suru.
    If it rains, we will suspend our trip.
    急(いそ)がば回(まわ)れ ― isogaba maware ― If you rush, you'll go round → more haste, less speed
  2. In Modern Japanese, attaches to the kateikei, and in Classical Japanese, attaches to the izenkei, to express the precondition for something to happen: if; when
    雨(あめ)が降(ふ)れば道(みち)が濡(ぬ)れる。
    Ame ga fureba michi ga nureru.
    The road gets wet when it rains.
    • c. late 9th–mid-10th century, Taketori Monogatari
      それを見(み)れば、三(さん)寸(すん)ばかりなる人(ひと)いと美(うつく)しうて居(ゐ)たり。
      Sore o mireba, sansun bakari naru hito ito utsukushūte itari.
      When he looked at it, there sat a very lovely human being about three sun long.
    • 2007, “キラメキラリ”, in yura [yura] (lyrics), 神前暁 (music), THE IDOLM@STER MASTER ARTIST 02 高槻やよい (THE IDOLM@STER MASTER ARTIST 02 高槻やよい):
      宇(う)宙(ちゅう)から見(み)れば地(ち)球(きゅう)も流(なが)れ星(ぼし)
      uchū kara mireba chikyū mo nagareboshi
      If you see from the universe the earth is also a shooting star
  3. In the form …ば…ほど (… ba … hodo): the more …, the more
    学(まな)べば学(まな)ぶほど、何(なに)も知(し)らなかった事(こと)に気(き)づく
    Manabeba manabu hodo, nani mo shiranakatta koto ni kizuku
    The more I learned, the more I felt I didn't know anything.
  4. Links sentences parallel in meaning. The sentences usually incorporate a も (mo): … and …
    日(に)本(ほん)語(ご)もできれば英(えい)語(ご)もできる
    nihongo mo dekireba eigo mo dekiru
    to be able to speak both Japanese and English
  5. (archaic) In the form mizenkei + ば (ba) + meireikei on the same verb: it doesn't matter if …; may as well
    死(し)なば死(し)ね ― shinaba shine ― I might as well die.
  6. (archaic) In Modern Japanese, attaches to the kateikei, and in Classical Japanese, attaches to the izenkei, to express the reason or cause: because; as
    雨(あめ)降(ふ)れば運(うん)動(どう)会(かい)は中(ちゅう)止(し)せり。
    Ame fureba undōkai wa chūshi seri.
    The sports meeting is suspended due to rain.
    • 1901, 慶應義塾, 修身要領
      結(けっ)婚(こん)は人(じん)生(せい)の重(じゅう)大(だい)事(じ)なれば配(はい)偶(ぐう)の選(せん)択(たく)は最(もっと)も慎(しん)重(ちょう)ならざる可(べか)らず
      kekkon wa jinsei no jūdaiji nareba haigū no sentaku wa motto mo shinchō narazaru bekarazu
      Since marriage is a major event in life, the choice of a spouse has to be the most cautious.
    • 1904, 芳賀矢一, 中等教科明治文典:
      第(だい)六(ろく)活(かつ)用(よう)形(けい)の「死(し)ね」は命(めい)令(れい)をいふときに用(もち)ゐる形(かたち)なれば命(めい)令(れい)形(けい)といふ。
      Dairoku katsuyōkei no “shine” wa meirei o iu toki ni mochiiru katachi nareba meireikei to iu.
      The sixth conjugated form shine is the form used when expressing a command, so it's called the imperative form.
Usage notes
Inflection rules for the 仮定形 (kateikei) + ば form in Modern Japanese and 已然形 (izenkei) + ば form in Literary Japanese
non-accented
word		dictionary formkateikei + -baaccented
word		dictionary formkateikei + -ba
godan verbs (type 1)
聞くきく (kìkú)きけば (kìkéꜜbà)書くかく (káꜜkù)かけば (káꜜkèbà)
嗅ぐかぐ (kàgú)かげば (kàgéꜜbà)泳ぐおよぐ (òyóꜜgù)およげば (òyóꜜgèbà)
貸すかす (kàsú)かせば (kàséꜜbà)話すはなす (hànáꜜsù)はなせば (hànáꜜsèbà)
取り持つとりもつ (tòrímótsú)とりもてば (tòrímótéꜜbà)立つたつ (táꜜtsù)たてば (táꜜtèbà)
死ぬしぬ (shìnú)しねば (shìnéꜜbà)凍え死ぬこごえしぬ (kògóéshíꜜnù)こごえしねば (kògóéshíꜜnèbà)
呼ぶよぶ (yòbú)よべば (yòbéꜜbà)選ぶえらぶ (èráꜜbù)えらべば (èráꜜbèbà)
望むのぞむ (nòzómú)のぞめば (nòzóméꜜbà)読むよむ (yóꜜmù)よめば (yóꜜmèbà)
終わるおわる (òwárú)おわれば (òwáréꜜbà)作るつくる (tsùkúꜜrù)つくれば (tsùkúꜜrèbà)
言ういう (ìú)いえば (ìéꜜbà)会うあう (áꜜù)あえば (áꜜèbà)
追うおう (òú)おえば (òéꜜbà)食うくう (kúꜜù)くえば (kúꜜèbà)
kami ichidan verbs (type 2a)
似るにる (nìrú)にれば (nìréꜜbà)見るみる (míꜜrù)みれば (míꜜrèbà)
借りるかりる (kàrírú)かりれば (kàríréꜜbà)生きるいきる (ìkíꜜrù)いきれば (ìkíꜜrèbà)
感じるかんじる (kàńjírú)かんじれば (kàńjíréꜜbà)用いるもちいる (mòchííꜜrù)もちいれば (mòchííꜜrèbà)
shimo ichidan verbs (type 2b)
寝るねる (nèrú)ねれば (nèréꜜbà)出るでる (déꜜrù)でれば (déꜜrèbà)
開けるあける (àkérú)あければ (àkéréꜜbà)食べるたべる (tàbéꜜrù)たべれば (tàbéꜜrèbà)
忘れるわすれる (wàsúrérú)わすれれば (wàsúréréꜜbà)助けるたすける (tàsúkéꜜrù)たすければ (tàsúkéꜜrèbà)
憧れるあこがれる (àkógárérú)あこがれれば (àkógáréréꜜbà)訪れるおとずれる (òtózúréꜜrù)おとずれれば (òtózúréꜜrèbà)
nidan verbs (type 2a/b, Literary Japanese)
開くあく (àkú)あくれば (àkúréꜜbà)眺むながむ (nàgáꜜmù)ながむれば (nàgámúꜜrèbà)
irregular verbs (type 3)
するする (sùrú)すれば (sùréꜜbà)来るくる (kúꜜrù)くれば (kúꜜrèbà)
adjectives
重いおもい (òmóí)おもければ (òmóꜜkèrèbà)高いたかい (tàkáꜜì)たかければ (táꜜkàkèrèbà)
たかければ (tàkáꜜkèrèbà)
copula
だだなら
ならば (old-fashioned)
なれば (archaic "because")
であるであるであれば
なりなりなれば
negative forms
行かないいかない (ìkánáí)いかなければ (ìkánáꜜkèrèbà)作らないつくらない (tsùkúráꜜnàì)つくらなければ (tsùkúráꜜnàkèrèbà)
行かずゆかずゆかねば
ゆかざれば
past/perfect forms (Literary Japanese)
行きたりゆきたりゆきたれば

(Part of the accent information comes from the Online Japanese Accent Dictionary.)

Inflection rules for the 未然形 (mizenkei) + ば form in Literary Japanese
worddictionary formmizenkei + -ba
godan verbs (type 1)
聞くきくきかば
急ぐいそぐいそがば
貸すかすかさば
立つたつたたば
死ぬしぬしなば
呼ぶよぶよばば
読むよむよまば
作るつくるつくらば
言ふいふいはば
ichidan verbs (type 2)
見るみるみば
nidan verbs (type 2)
起くおくおきば
助くたすくたすけば
irregular verbs (type 3)
すすせば
来くこば
adjectives
高したかしたかからば
たかくば (supplementary)
たかくんば (supplementary)
美しうつくしうつくしからば
うつくしくば (supplementary)
うつくしくんば (supplementary)
同じおなじおなじからば
おなじくば (supplementary)
おなじくんば (supplementary)
copulas
なりなりならば
たりたりたらば
negative forms
行かずゆかずゆかざらば
ゆかずば (supplementary)
ゆかずんば (supplementary)
past/perfect forms
行きたりゆきたりゆきたらば
Classical JapaneseModern Japanese
Hypothetical condition ("if, suppose that") 未然形 (mizenkei) + ば仮定形 (kateikei) + ば
Precondition ("if, provided that, when, whenever") 已然形 (izenkei) + ば仮定形 (kateikei) + ば
Reason or cause ("since, as, because") 已然形 (izenkei) + ば-

This word is morphologically an inflectional suffix. It is classified as 助詞 (jodōshi, “auxiliary word; particle”) in traditional Japanese grammar.

Synonyms

Etymology 3

For pronunciation and definitions of ば – see the following entry.
【場】2
[noun] [from 1275] a place
[noun] [from 1701] a situation, the circumstances of a particular place and time
[noun] [from 1825] an act, a section of a play
[noun] [from 1888] (physics) a field
[noun] [from 1893] a trading floor, as in a market or exchange
[counter] [from 1825] an act, a section of a play
(This term, ば, is the hiragana spelling of the above term.)
For a list of all kanji read as ば, see Category:Japanese kanji read as ば.)

Etymology 4

For pronunciation and definitions of ば – see the following entries.
【馬】2
[affix] horse
【婆】S
[affix] old woman, crone
[affix] Used in Sanskrit transliterations
【罵】S
[affix] abuse; insult
(This term, ば, is the hiragana spelling of the above terms.)
For a list of all kanji read as ば, see Category:Japanese kanji read as ば.)

Etymology 5

Contraction of をば (o ba), itself composed of the object particle を (o) + contrastive and emphatic particle は (wa), which voices to ば (ba) due to rendaku (連濁).[3][4]

First cited to a text from the early 1800s.[3]

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): [ba̠]

Particle

ば • (ba) 

  1. [from early 1800s] (dialectal) object marker
    Synonym: (standard Japanese) を (o)
Usage notes

May be encountered more commonly where the portion before the particle ends in an /o/ sound or the nasal ん (n), phonological contexts where the /o/ sound of the particle を (o) would be expected to contract.

References
  1. Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
  2. Matsumura, Akira (1995) 大辞泉 [Daijisen] (in Japanese), First edition, Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
  3. “ば”, in 日本国語大辞典 (Nihon Kokugo Daijiten, “Nihon Kokugo Daijiten”)‎ (in Japanese), concise edition, Tōkyō: Shogakukan, 2000
  4. Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
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