English gets by with one "if". Japanese has four conditional patterns, and each carries a slightly different flavour of cause, timing, or assumption.
The four forms
と (to): automatic result
Used when A reliably leads to B, like a law of nature or a machine. 春になると花が咲く (when spring comes, flowers bloom).
たら (tara): if and when, general purpose
The most flexible one, often best for one-off situations. 雨が降ったら、行きません (if it rains, I won't go).
ば (ba): hypothetical condition
Focuses on the condition itself, common in advice and proverbs. 安ければ買う (if it's cheap, I'll buy it).
なら (nara): if that's the case
Responds to something just said or assumed. 行くなら、教えて (if you're going, let me know).
The one that trips people
と cannot be used for a request or command in the result. "If it's cheap, buy it" cannot use と, because buying is a choice, not an automatic outcome. Learners who default to と for every "if" produce sentences that sound mechanical or wrong to a native ear.
botan wo osu to, akimasu, if you press the button, it opens (automatic)
jikan ga areba, ikimasu, if I have time, I'll go
A working shortcut
When unsure, たら is the safest general-purpose choice for a specific situation. Reach for と only when the result truly follows automatically, and use なら when you are reacting to something already on the table.
Test one of these examples in the translator and see how it comes out.
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