万一 details
write + (past) + in the unlikely event — a bad outcome the speaker rates as improbable and plans for anyway
man'ichi kaita ra
in the unlikely event — a bad outcome the speaker rates as improbable and plans for anyway
meaning: in the unlikely event of writing
万一遅れたら、こちらの番号までご連絡ください。
man'ichi okureta ra, kochira no bangou made go renraku kudasai.
Please call this number in the unlikely event of running late. formal
万一の場合に備えて、非常用の水を用意してあります。
man'ichi no baai ni sonaete, hijouyou no mizu o youi shite arimasu.
We keep emergency water on hand in case the worst should happen. neutral
- た-form
- て-form
- noun
- alternant
Examples
in the unlikely event — a remote and unwelcome case, named so that it can be prepared for
万一遅れたら、こちらの番号までご連絡ください。
man'ichiokuretara, kochira no bangou made go renraku kudasai.
Please call this number in the unlikely event of running late. formal
万一の場合に備えて、非常用の水を用意してあります。
man'ichi no baai ni sonaete, hijouyou no mizu o youi shite arimasu.
We keep emergency water on hand in case the worst should happen. neutral
万が一のことがあったら困るから、コピーを取っておこう。
man ga ichi no koto ga attara komaru kara, kopii o totte okou.
It'd be a problem if anything happened, so let's make a copy. casual
even in the unlikely event — with ても, the remote case is dismissed rather than prepared for
万一間に合わなくても、次の便がありますので大丈夫です。
man'ichi ma ni awanakute mo, tsugi no bin ga arimasu node daijoubu desu.
Even if by some chance we miss it, there is another service, so it will be fine. neutral
Formation
万一{V-ta}らattaches to た-form万一{V-te}もattaches to て-form万一の{N}attaches to noun
Variant notes
- 万が一 — the fuller shape, commoner in speech and no less formal — 万が一のことがあってはいけない。
Notes
where a lottery win takes もし instead.
Related patterns
Similar
場合 names a case and passes no judgment on how likely it is (雨の場合); 万一 asserts that the case is both unlikely and unwelcome, so 万一の場合 warns where 雨の場合 merely plans.
万一 rates the case both unlikely and unwelcome and belongs to written warnings; もし rates nothing at all, so it heads happy suppositions (もし宝くじが当たったら) that 万一 cannot.
Combines with
たら is the conditional 万一 reaches for by default, and 万一 supplies what たら leaves unstated — that the speaker rates the case remote and does not want it, which a bare 遅れたら says nothing about.
With ても the sentence stops planning for the bad case and dismisses it — 万一遅れても大丈夫です says the remote outcome would not matter, where 万一遅れたら goes on to say what to do about it.