「〜ときたら」- Time and Situation Marker

Explanation

〜ときたら is a Japanese grammatical structure used to indicate a specific time, situation, or state. It can be translated into English as "when" or "at the time of."

Grammar Pattern

Grammar Point	Connection	Explanation
〜ときたら	Verb plain form / い-Adjective / な-Adjective + な / Noun	〜ときたら is used to describe a specific time, situation, or state, equivalent to "when" or "at the time of" in English.

Basic Usage

〜ときたら connects to a preceding verb, adjective, or noun to indicate that the action or situation in the latter part occurs at the time, in the situation, or under the state described in the former part.

Examples

• 泥棒どろぼうは買かい物ものをしてしまったときたら、警察けいさつに逮捕たいほされた。
• Dorobou wa kaimono o shite shimatta tokitara, keisatsu ni taiho sareta.
• When the thief went shopping, he was arrested by the police.
  

• 彼かれの失敗しっぱいときたら、まったく予想よそう外がいだった。
• Kare no shippai tokitara, mattaku yosougai datta.
• When it came to his failure, it was completely unexpected.
  

• 休日きゅうじつときたら、いつも寝ねてばかりいる。
• Kyuujitsu tokitara, itsumo nete bakari iru.
• When it's a holiday, he always just sleeps.
  

Deep Dive

〜ときたら is not only used to describe specific times or states but also often carries an emotional tone. It is particularly common when expressing complaints or negative situations. For example, in the sentence 「休日ときたら」, it conveys a sense of complaint about someone's behavior on holidays.

Comparison and Differences

In Japanese, there are expressions similar to 〜ときたら, such as 「〜とき」 and 「〜たら」. Below is a detailed explanation of their differences.

Expression	Usage	Example	English Translation
〜とき	Describes a specific time or situation	私わたしが晩ばんごはんを食たべているとき、友達ともだちが家うちに来きました。	When I was eating dinner, my friend came over.
〜たら	Hypothetical condition	雨あめが降ふったたら、出でかけません。	If it rains, I won't go out.
〜ときたら	Describes a specific time or state, often with emotional nuance	休日きゅうじつときたら、いつも寝ねてばかりいる。	When it's a holiday, he always just sleeps.

Real-Life Scenarios

To better understand the usage of 〜ときたら, here are some conversational examples.

Examples

• A: 彼かれの態度たいどときたら、本当ほんとうにひどいですね。
• A: Kare no taido tokitara, hontou ni hidoi desu ne.
• A: When it comes to his attitude, it's really terrible.
  

• B: そうですね、いつも遅刻ちこくしてばかりです。
• B: Sou desu ne, itsumo chikoku shite bakari desu.
• B: Yeah, he's always late.
  

• A: 旅行りょこうの計画けいかくを立たてているときたら、わくわくしますね。
• A: Ryokou no keikaku o tatete iru tokitara, wakuwaku shimasu ne.
• A: When I'm making travel plans, I get really excited.
  

• B: 本当ほんとうに、早はやく行いきたいですね。
• B: Hontou ni, hayaku ikitai desu ne.
• B: Really, I want to go soon.
  

Summary

〜ときたら is a highly practical Japanese grammar point that significantly enhances the nuance of expression. This structure is used to describe specific times, situations, or states, often with an emotional tone, making it suitable for various everyday communication scenarios.