Japanese grammar
What does ～にしたら／～にすれば mean? Japanese grammar N2
～にしたら／～にすれば means from the standpoint of…; as far as… is concerned.
| Level (estimated, JLPT framework) | N2 |
|---|---|
| Structure | N（person）+ にしたら／にすれば／にしても |
| Romaji | nishitara／nisureba |
| Meaning | from the standpoint of…; as far as… is concerned |
Forming it
| Person | 親 → 親にしたら |
|---|
How to use it
States a person's STANDPOINT and then describes their feeling. The subject must be a PERSON.
- 「Nにしたら」 = from N's point of view: 「子どもにしたら、この話は退屈かもしれない」 (from the children's point of view, this story might be boring).
- The second clause is a guess about N's feeling, so it often has 「だろう・かもしれない」 — it does not state an objective fact.
- N must be a PERSON or group of people; not used with objects or abstract organizations.
Examples
子どもたちにしたら、この話は退屈かもしれない。
From the children’s point of view, this story may be boring.
親にすれば、子どもの結婚はうれしくもあり寂しくもある。
For parents, a child’s marriage is both joyful and lonely.
Keep in mind
- N is a person.
- The second clause is a guess about a feeling.
Common mistakes
-
Wrongこの機械にしたら、修理が必要だ。
This machine needs repairing.
Correctこの機械は修理が必要だ。
「にしたら」 is only used with people.
-
Wrong彼にしたら、早く帰った。
From his point of view, he already went home early.
Correct彼にしたら、早く帰りたいだろう。
The second clause is a guess about feeling, not something that has already happened.
Exam tips
- 「にしたら」 = from that person's point of view; the second clause is a guessed feeling.