What's this grammar doing? あなたなら、 あなたじゃなきゃ嫌

[Lauranne]

Hi everyone! I'm new here, mostly hoping for help with occasional grammar questions. よろしくお願いします！

So, I'm listening to a pop song, and the chorus goes like this:
側にいてあなたなら
側にいてあなたじゃなきゃ嫌

I understand all the parts, but I don't quite understand how they fit together. If it was by itself, I'd read the second line "I must be with you" (Is that right? Lit: "If I'm not beside you it will be awful"). But I'm not sure I get what the line before that is doing. Does that "nara" go with the "iya", like the "ja nakya" does? So the whole thing would be something like "I can't stand to be with you, I must be with you"? That would make sense contextually- it's an ambivalent break-up song. Or is that "nara" up there doing something else I don't understand?

Thanks,
Lauranne

 

[BrianLewis]

なら is an "if" form, but in a sense that "if [it's true that...]"
なきゃ is short for なければ, and sometimes なきればならない. You have to judge that from the context.
嫌 Is a word you can't translate into English too well when used in context like this; it's more of an emotional response to not accepting the circumstances.

"If it is you who [is by my side]..."
Lit: "It's unpleasant if it's not you [who's by my side]." You can be less literal here with "I wouldn't want anyone else by my side."

 

[Lauranne]

"If it is you who [is by my side]..."
Lit: "It's unpleasant if it's not you [who's by my side]." You can be less literal here with "I wouldn't want anyone else by my side."

Thanks, Brian! I knew about じゃなきゃ嫌, but got thrown off by not being able to figure out how one would differentiate between "if it's not you (as opposed to someone else) I'm with, it's bad" and "if I'm not with you, it's bad". Grammar is so complex! But after your explanation, I think I get that part now.

I still don't understand what the first line is doing though. Is it just a partial statement of the second line, like she started saying something, didn't finish, and then started over? Or is it the opposite of the second line? Cause じゃなきゃ is "if not" and なら is "if"?

Sorry for my thick-headedness, and thanks again.

 

[BrianLewis]

Your correct, the line is not finished. You are left to assume that it is a favorable condition, since the two lines are contrasting each other and the second line is unfavorable.

 

[Toritoribe]

Hi everyone! I'm new here, mostly hoping for help with occasional grammar questions. よろしくお願いします！

So, I'm listening to a pop song, and the chorus goes like this:
側にいてあなたなら
側にいてあなたじゃなきゃ嫌

I understand all the parts, but I don't quite understand how they fit together. If it was by itself, I'd read the second line "I must be with you" (Is that right? Lit: "If I'm not beside you it will be awful"). But I'm not sure I get what the line before that is doing. Does that "nara" go with the "iya", like the "ja nakya" does? So the whole thing would be something like "I can't stand to be with you, I must be with you"? That would make sense contextually- it's an ambivalent break-up song. Or is that "nara" up there doing something else I don't understand?

Thanks,
Lauranne

側にいて。あなたなら。。。
側にいて。あなたじゃなきゃ嫌。

As you can see above, those two lines are FOUR sentences, neither single sentence nor two sentences. 側にいて is a request "(Please) be with me" as same as キスをして "(Please) kiss me", and the phrase following あなたなら is omitted, as already pointed out. My interpretation after reading the whole lyrics is あなた（が側にいる）なら今の私（の状況）を変えられ る.

 

[Lauranne]

As you can see above, those two lines are FOUR sentences, neither single sentence nor two sentences.

OMG, (facepalm) so obvious and basic and I still couldn't figure it out. Sigh.

My interpretation after reading the whole lyrics is あなた（が側にいる）なら今の私（の状況）を変えられ る.

Ah. Yeah, that totally makes sense. Thank you so much!