How to Say ‘When they come…’ in Japanese
来たら
ki tara
[kee tah-rah]
💬 Usage Tip: [来たら] means “when/if (they) come…” and sets up the next action: [来たら、電話してください].
🇯🇵 In Japan: Conditionals like [〜たら] are common in arranging access to your apartment (e.g., what to do when the repair person arrives).
Phrase Breakdown
来
ki
[kee]
to come (stem of 来る, past/conditional base)
来 is the stem used to form 来たら (“if/when (someone) comes”). Often used for instructions like “When they come, please call me.”
業者さんが来たら、インターホンで教えてください。
When the repair person comes, please let me know via the intercom.
たら
tara
[tah-rah]
if/when (conditional)
たら attaches to the past form to make an “if/when” condition. 来たら = “when (they) come.”
業者さんが来たら、玄関を開けます。
When the repair person comes, I’ll open the front door.
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