Can you distinguish between the use of 〜とき and 〜たら?

The two are used similarly when talking about past events.

But there is a difference in the point in time at which the event occurs.

 

 

[Unnatural sentence]

コーヒーを飲む時、お腹が痛いので、コーヒーは好きじゃありません

-コーヒーをのむとき、おなかがいたいので、コーヒーはすきじゃありません。

-I don’t like coffee because it makes me sick to my stomach.

 

Can you find a mistake?

 

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[Sensei’s correction]

コーヒーを飲む時、お腹が痛いので、コーヒーは好きじゃありません

→コーヒーを飲んだら、お腹が痛くなるので、コーヒーは好きじゃありません

 

＜とき or たら＞

コーヒーを飲む時

〜とき

＝そのとき、その瞬間(しゅんかん) at that time, at that moment

 

→ ◎コーヒーを飲んだら

〜たら、（〜た past event）。

＝その後(あと)で after that

 

＜〜なる＞

お腹が痛いので

→ ◎お腹が痛くなるので

コーヒーを飲む前は、お腹が痛くない。でも、コーヒーを飲んだ後で、お腹が痛い

Before I drank coffee, my stomach didn’t hurt. But after I drank the coffee, my stomach hurt.

＝変化(へんか) change「〜なる」

痛い i-adj → 痛く＋なる

 

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Did my explanation enhance your understanding?

This is a JLPT N4 (Elementary level) question.

N4 level is the second stage of the JLPT.

This level will allow the student to continue working on sentence building as well as new grammar points.

Students will be able to create simple sentences using various verbs and adjectives conjugations.

They will be able to survive a lot of basic situations like meeting new people, shopping, or talking about their day.

 

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