ばそれまでだ

Level

JLPT N1

Ratings

5/5

Quizzes Mastered

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ばそれまでだ

basoremadedaConditional, While

Yuzuo Chan

11.06.2025

Mark as learned

Collect

Mark as learned

Collect

Meaning

If A happens, that is the end of the matter: all previous effort or advantage becomes useless, or there is nothing more to do or say.

Conjugation

(A)Vば + それまでだ: (A)い-adjective (～い → ～ければ) + それまでだ

Examples

Show translation

どんなに高たかい車くるまを買かっても、事故じこを起おこせばそれまでだ。

どんなに能力のうりょくがあっても、運うんが悪わるければそれまでだ。

私わたしたちが反対はんたいしても、本人ほんにんがやると言いえばそれまでだ。

何時間なんじかんも勉強べんきょうしても、試験しけんの日ひに寝坊ねぼうすればそれまでだ。

せっかく貯ためたお金かねも、騙だまされてしまえばそれまでだ。

あの時とき、上司じょうしに見みつかればそれまでだったが、幸さいわい気きづかれなかった。

grammarDetailPage.commonMistakes.title

grammarDetailPage.commonMistakes.wrong: 運うんが悪わるくければそれまでだ。

grammarDetailPage.commonMistakes.correct: 運うんが悪わるければそれまでだ。

grammarDetailPage.commonMistakes.why: The conditional of an い-adjective is made by replacing い with ければ (悪い → 悪ければ), not by adding ければ to the ～く form.

grammarDetailPage.commonMistakes.wrong: 次つぎの試合しあいを負まければそれまでだ。

grammarDetailPage.commonMistakes.correct: 次つぎの試合しあいに負まければそれまでだ。

grammarDetailPage.commonMistakes.why: 負ける takes に for the opponent or event you lose to. The problem is the particle, not the pattern.

grammarDetailPage.commonMistakes.wrong: 試験しけんに合格ごうかくすればそれまでだ。(meaning 'once you pass, it's all good')

grammarDetailPage.commonMistakes.correct: 試験しけんに合格ごうかくすれば安心あんしんだ。

grammarDetailPage.commonMistakes.why: それまでだ means 'that is the end of the matter' or 'there is nothing more to do or say'. It often describes a negative outcome that makes previous efforts useless, but the condition itself does not have to be negative. It cannot simply mean 'everything will be fine' or 'things will turn out well'.

Key points

Used to express that if a certain condition is met, that is the end of the matter: previous efforts or advantages may become meaningless, or there may be nothing more to do or say. It often follows a concession such as どんなに～ても or いくら～ても. It is close to ～たらおしまいだ (more colloquial) and is somewhat more formal or rhetorical. Although it commonly describes possible future or general situations, it can also be used retrospectively, particularly in the past-tense form ～ばそれまでだった.

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