# you can never get lost, if you don't know where you are going



## areki

I've tried translate this phrase in Jap. and I got 
いつも　道を　迷えらない、行きたい場所を　知らなかったら。

Is it correct?


----------



## Myuu

I'm sorry, I'm not a native speaker, but I'd like to take a stab at this one for fun if you don't mind. 

行く先が分からなければ、道に迷うことはない。


----------



## avalucky

Myuu said:


> I'm sorry, I'm not a native speaker, but I'd like to take a stab at this one for fun if you don't mind.
> 
> 行く先が分からなければ、道に迷うことはない。


 
Myuu's got the perfect translation.


----------



## areki

thanks for the answer...
and this brings up another question: past form +ra   vs the eba form for  "IF". what is the difference?


----------



## avalucky

行く先が分からなければ、道に迷うことはない。
行く先が分からないなら、道に迷うことはない。
行く先が分からなかったら、道に迷うことはない。
行く先が分からねば、道に迷うことはない。 

They are all the same.　They are all IFs.


----------



## Ilmen

For a further learning about Japanese conditionals: Tae Kim's Japanese Grammar Guide :: Conditionals

Though I've never heard of the ～ねば form. Is that the same of ～なければ? (Maybe this should be the object of another topic)


----------



## 涼宮

Ilmen said:


> For a further learning about Japanese conditionals: Tae Kim's Japanese Grammar Guide :: Conditionals
> 
> Though I've never heard of the ～ねば form. Is that the same of ～なければ? (Maybe this should be the object of another topic)


 

Yes, it is the same as ～ば, as far as I know it's rather formal.

Like a rule:

日本語を使わねばなりません。


----------



## almostfreebird

涼宮 said:


> as far as I know it's rather formal.
> 日本語を使わねばなりません。



Yep. 

"Tae Kim's Japanese Grammar Guide" is excellent from my point of view as a native speaker too!


----------



## Ryoji3

日本語を使わねばなりません。

No, we don't use 使わねば, this expression is very old style, as samurai used to use it.

You should say 使わなければ, as you can see tsukawanakereba ends with eba.

日本語を使わなければなりません。

なりません is a formal expression, in this situation you can say いけません in stead of なりません.

Usually we use
日本語を使わないといけません。
日本語を使わなきゃいけません。

Ryoji


----------



## Ryoji3

you can never get lost, if you don't know where you are going

行くあてもなく歩いてるのなら道に迷うはずはない

I think this translation is better than others.


----------

