JLPT N1 grammar

〜ばそれまでだmeaning and usage

Meaning

If A happens, it's over (nothing will be of use)

How to form it

  • verb (ba-form)それまでだ
  • verb (ta-form)らそれまでだ
  • verb (te-form)しまえばそれまでだ

How it is used

Once A happens, that is the end of it: earlier effort is wasted, or there is nothing more to say. Common as 「〜てしまえばそれまでだ」 and 「〜と言われればそれまでだ」. Not the same as 「〜までだ」 ('I'll just do A').

Examples

  1. 僕は次の試験に落ちたらそれまでなんだ！

    If I fail the next exam it's over!

  2. データは保存しておかないと、停電になればそれまでだ。

    If you don't save your data, one power cut and it's all gone.

  3. 運が悪かったと言われればそれまでだが、どうも納得できない。

    You could call it bad luck and leave it at that, but I can't quite accept it.