1.
if that is the case; assuming that is so; in that case
Takes what has just been said as a premise and draws out what would follow from it. Marks the conclusion as provisional — the speaker is reasoning from an assumption, not asserting it.
だ (copula) + と + する (to take as) + と (conditional): "if we take it to be so." Usually stands at the head of a sentence, referring back to the previous one.
Similar words
- ということは: that means — draws out what the previous statement necessarily implies, with more confidence
- だとしたら: nearly identical; slightly more hypothetical, and readier for premises the speaker doubts
- そうすると: then, in that case — about what happens next rather than what must be true
- それなら: in that case — used to respond with a decision or suggestion, not a deduction
Related Words
Compare:
ということは (that means)
Compare:
そうすると (then, in that case)
Compare:
それなら (in that case)