How certain is たら？


In skype conversations and the subtitles of a lot of shows I see たら being
translated as "when" in some of them it seems quite morbid almost to use たら
for example 帰ったら to me sounds more like "if you go home" Implying that there
is some possibility that you might not get home. Is たら more certain than the
English "if" or is this just a translation done from context?




> How certain is たら?

This question reads like asking, "How certain is **if** in English?" Nobody
can tell exactly unless they know the full context. Also, it depends on what
you say. If you say something like,

> [明日]{あした}になったら, ピクニックに[行]{い}きしょう.
>
> If (when) tomorrow comes, let's go on a picnic.

Is there any chance that there will be no tomorrow? Yes, if a nuclear war
breaks out today, there will be no tomorrow for us, but how likely is it?

帰ったら can imply both. But if the following clause indicates an **immediate
action** , it could have more certainty.

> [外]{そと}から[帰]{かえ}ったら[必]{かなら}ず[嗽]{うがい}をする.
>
> When (If) I come back from outside (other places), I always brush my teeth.

The following link [Japanese Conditional Form - Part 4. ~たら (~tara)
Sentence](http://www.learn-japanese-adventure.com/japanese-conditional-form-
tara.html) will help you better understand it.




> How certain is たら?

This question reads like asking, "How certain is **if** in English?" Nobody
can tell exactly unless they know the full context. Also, it depends on what
you say. If you say something like,

> [明日]{あした}になったら, ピクニックに[行]{い}きしょう.
>
> If (when) tomorrow comes, let's go on a picnic.

Is there any chance that there will be no tomorrow? Yes, if a nuclear war
breaks out today, there will be no tomorrow for us, but how likely is it?

帰ったら can imply both. But if the following clause indicates an **immediate
action** , it could have more certainty.

> [外]{そと}から[帰]{かえ}ったら[必]{かなら}ず[嗽]{うがい}をする.
>
> When (If) I come back from outside (other places), I always brush my teeth.

The following link [Japanese Conditional Form - Part 4. ~たら (~tara)
Sentence](http://www.learn-japanese-adventure.com/japanese-conditional-form-
tara.html) will help you better understand it.

