ばよかった (ba yokatta) Meaning Japanese Grammar - Should Have

The expression ばよかった (ba yokatta) means should have done, it would have been better to.

We use the conditional form of the verb and the adjective 良(よ)い, fine, good in the past form.

In this post we learn more about the meaning of ばよかった, how it is formed and when ばよかった is used through real example sentences.

How ば良(よ)かった is formed

ば良(よ)かった is formed

• by the conditional form of the verb expressed by the suffixes ば and れば
• by the adjective 良(よ)い, an い Adjective meaning good, fine, excellent in the past form

⇨ If I had done it, it would have been better

⇨ I should have done that thing; It would have been better to do that

With the Ichidan Verbs the verb base is obtained by removing the syllable る and adding the suffix れば for the conditional form.

決(き)める decide

⇨ If you had decided, it would have been better

⇨ You should have decided

WIth the Godan Verbs we use the B4 or Base in "e " combined with the suffix ば.

聞(き)く listen, ask

⇨ You should have asked

Irregular verbs する and 来(く)る

With the irregular verbs する to do and 来(く)る to come the form becomes:

• すれば良(よ)かった should have done
• 来(く)れば良(よ)かった should have come

For the conditional of the verb 来(く)る:

くれば is the basic form of the standard language 標準語 hyōjungo, but it is also common the form これば of dialectal origin.

ば良(よ)かった expressing regret

A short Japanese sentence explaining ば良かった: 後悔している気持ちを表します。

ば良かった expresses feelings of regret and repentance for something we could have done or should have done, for a decision we should have made in the past.

We find here the hypothetical phrase using the conjunction if and the conditional phrase.

⇨ If I had come home early yesterday, it would have been better.

Other short phrases to explain the expression: した方が良かったのにしなかった。

⇨ I should have done it, but I didn't.

するべきだった。

⇨ I should have done it.

A comment on a Video about travels 旅(りょ)行(こう) and picturesque sceneries 絶(ぜっ)景(けい)

I should not have

The form ば良(よ)かった is also used in the negative with the meaning of should not have done.

With the Ichidan Verbs: we add to the verb base the suffix of the negative conditional なければ.

出(で)かける: get out

With the Godan Verbs we use the Negative base: B1 or Base in あ and the suffix なければ.

〜ば良(よ)かった and 〜たら良(よ)かった

ば良(よ)かった is replaced by the other conditional form expressed by たら: たら良(よ)かった.

KanjiNo FuriganaKanaRomaji

朝(あさ)ご飯(はん)を食(た)べてきたら良(よ)かった。

I should have eaten breakfast.

Title of a manga:

KanjiNo FuriganaKanaRomaji

天(てん)使(し)だったらよかった。

I wish I were an angel.

We find the conditional form だったら of the copula だ. From a manga:

KanjiNo FuriganaKanaRomaji

ただ普(ふ)通(つう)に愛(あい)せたら良(よ)かった。

I just wish I could have loved him normally.

From a video on how to organise spaces within the home:

0:00.00

-1:0-1.00

KanjiNo FuriganaKanaRomaji

こういう風(ふう)に工(く)夫(ふう)すればもっと住(す)みやすかったなという話(はなし)をですね、今日(きょう)はしていこうかなと思(おも)います。

Today, I would like to talk about how it would have been more comfortable to live if we had planned spaces like this.

KanjiNo FuriganaKanaRomaji

“母(はは)親(おや)にならなければよかった”？女(じょ)性(せい)たちの葛(かつ)藤(とう)6000人(にん)アンケート結(けつ)果(か)

“Shouldn't I have become a mother?” Women's conflicts, results of the survey of 6000 women

The sentence in the picture:

KanjiNo FuriganaKanaRomaji

母(はは)親(おや)にならなければよかったと思(おも)ったことがありますか?

Have you ever wished you had never become a mother?

Examples of ば良(よ)かった

A commonly used form in Japanese: ておく.

て form of the verb + おく to express an action that takes place beforehand, in advance to facilitate future developments.

In the case of the sentence: I should have studied mathematics when I was a student and I would have benefited today.