- JLPT N4
と~た ([discovery])
NikoJLPT N4: と～た ・ ～たら～た (when...; to find...)
By following「Vる ＋ と」or「Vたら 」with a phrase in the past tense, we can describe the discovery of something which had happened or was happening.
For example:
冷蔵庫を開けると、巨大なケーキがありました。
れいぞうこ を あけると、 きょだいな ケーキ が ありました。
When I opened the fridge, there was a huge cake in there. // I opened the fridge to find a gigantic cake.
Note that the phrase coming after と or ～たら will always be in past tense (this includes past progressive ～ていた, by the way).
The subjects in Phrase 1 and Phrase 2 will differ. In the above sentence, "I" is the (unspoken) subject of Phrase 1 and "cake" is the subject of Phrase 2.
Since we can use either と or ～たら, it also would have been possible to say:
冷蔵庫を開けたら、巨大なケーキがありました。
れいぞうこ を あけたら、 きょだいな ケーキ が ありました。
When I opened the fridge, there was a huge cake in there. // I opened the fridge to find a gigantic cake.
What do you think? Not too hard?
How about some more examples...
家に帰ると、親戚が遊びに来ていた。
いえ に かえると、 しんせき が あそび に きていた。
When I got home, my relatives were there. // I got home to find that my relatives were visiting.
靴の底を見たら、ガムがくっついていました。
くつ の そこ を みたら、 ガム が くっついていました。
When I looked at the sole of my shoe, there was gum on it. // I looked at the sole of my shoe to find that I’d stepped in gum.
Remember how I said that Phrase 2 will be in the past tense?
Look at what happens when it's not in the past tense...
電車を降りると、海が見えます。
でんしゃ を おりると、 うみ が みえます。
When you get off the train, you can see the ocean.
↑ That's describing an ongoing state. An ongoing rule, if you will. Whenever you get off the train, you can see the ocean. This is the usage of と that we saw in the last lesson: JLPT N4: と ([conditional] when; once).
When Phrase 2 is in the past tense, it becomes a description of a specific point in time:
電車を降りると、海が見えました。
でんしゃ を おりると、 うみ が みえました。
When I got off the train, I could see the ocean.
The uses of「Vる ＋ と」and「Vたら 」that we're seeing in this lesson are common when the thing in Phrase 2 is surprising or unexpected:
電気をつけると、僕のまくらの上に猫がいました。
でんき を つけると、 ぼく の まくら の うえ に ねこ が いました。
I turned on the light to find the cat lying on my pillow.
起きたら、もう夕方でした。
おきたら、 もう ゆうがた でした。
When I woke up, it was already evening.
That's all for this one. It's a pretty useful construction, so try it out, yeah?
Niko
