Some grammar similarities difficulties

[pacerier]

Hi guys, does anyone know the difference between these two sentences:

1) 「喫茶店に行ったら、鈴村さんに出会ったかもしれない。」

and 2)「喫茶店に行ったら、鈴村さんに出会っていたかもしれない。」 ?


Also, I was wondering what's the difference between

3) 喫茶店へ行った時、鈴木さんに出会った。

and 4) 喫茶店に行ったら、鈴木さんに出会った。

 

[Toritoribe]

Are there any difference between #1 and #2, besides the position of the space?:?

1) ない_。
2) な_い。

#3 and #4 are the same in meaning, too.

 

[pacerier]

Heys sry I've edited the 1) and 2).

Btw I was wondering what's the difference in nuance, like is one of them more commonly used (more natural) ?

 

[nice gaijin]

uhh, your first two sentences are:
喫茶店に行ったら、鈴村さんに出会ったかもしれない 。
喫茶店に行ったら、鈴村さんに出会ったかもしれな い。

They are the same, I think you forgot to change the second one?

3) 喫茶店へ行った時、鈴木さんに出会った。
and 4) 喫茶店に行ったら、鈴木さんに出会った。

There are two differences, one being the use of the particles へ and に, which both denote direction (with slightly different nuances), and 行った時 vs. 行ったら

while both へ and に imply the direction of the verb 行く, へ can also mean to head in that direction, and not necessarily going straight there.

行った時 is pretty straightforward: the time [subject] went to/towards [destination]

行ったら can be used as a conditional (with a high level of probability), but in this context, it refers to an event immediately following the completion of the action.

Had you 喫茶店に行ったら、鈴木さんに出会う, it would mean "If I/he/you went to the cafe, i/he/you would run into Suzuki-san" (although if you were planning on meeting Suzuki-san, the term 出会う is kind of moot).

So, to translate the two sentences, I would go with:
喫茶店へ行った時、鈴木さんに出会った。
When I went to the cafe I ran into Suzuki-san.
and possibly: I had left for the cafe when I ran into Suzuki-san.
or: I was headed towards the cafe when I ran into Suzuki-san.

喫茶店に行ったら、鈴木さんに出会った。
When I went to the cafe I ran into Suzuki-san (implying that Suzuki-san was there when you arrived)

So, they're very close in meaning, but carry slightly different nuances. At least in my interpretation. Language is wonderfully difficult to fully grasp!

 

[Toritoribe]

出会ったかもしれない and 出会っていたかもしれない are the same. If you aim to write a novel in Japanese, you should know the difference in nuance, though.

へ can also mean to head in that direction, and not necessarily going straight there.

If it's just 彼/彼女は喫茶店へ行った(i.e. the subject is not the speaker), yes, the interpretation "He/She left for the cafe" could be possible. But, I belive 喫茶店へ行ったとき usually means "when the subject actually reached the cafe" as same as 喫茶店に行ったとき. When expressing just heading to the cafe, regardless of weather the subject reached there, I would use 喫茶店へ向かったとき instead.

喫茶店に行ったら、鈴木さんに出会った。
When I went to the cafe I ran into Suzuki-san (implying that Suzuki-san was there when you arrived)

I agree with that connotation in たら. If there is a difference between #3 and #4, this is it.

 

[pacerier]

出会ったかもしれない and 出会っていたかもしれない are the same. If you aim to write a novel in Japanese, you should know the difference in nuance, though.

I'm not aiming to write a novel, but I'm aiming to be fluent and liked to be aware of the differences of usage..

uhh, your first two sentences are:
喫茶店に行ったら、鈴村さんに出会ったかもしれない 。
喫茶店に行ったら、鈴村さんに出会ったかもしれな い。

They are the same, I think you forgot to change the second one?

Heys my mistake, I've changed them take a look thanks =D

 

[Glenn]

Wouldn't 喫茶店に行ったら、鈴木さんに出会った also give a sense of surprise that you ran into 鈴木さん at the cafe?

 

[Toritoribe]

Right. That would be also from the connotation nice gaijin-san explained.
Here's limitations on the use of たら.

When describing a past fact, the main clause can't express the speaker's volitional action.

X喫茶店に行ったら、鈴木さんに話しかけた。

It's OK to use volitinal verb in the main clause when expressing other's volition.

○喫茶店に行ったら、鈴木さんが話しかけてきた。

It's also OK when たら is a conditional.

○喫茶店に行ったら、鈴木さんに話しかけよう。

とき can be used for all the cases above.