GRAMMAR DETAIL

たら〜たで

if that is the case, then in its own way

Indicates that whichever condition holds, that condition brings its own separate issues or circumstances.

Examples

都会は便利だが、便利だったら便利だったで別の悩みがある。

Cities are convenient, but when life is convenient, that brings its own set of concerns.

忙しかったら忙しかったで、休む時間を作らなければならない。

If you are busy, then you need to make time to rest despite being busy.

暇だったら暇だったで、何をすればよいか迷う。

If you have too much free time, then you face the separate problem of wondering what to do.

Structure: Repeat the same state in a たら condition and a たで form to show that the state brings its own circumstances or difficulties.
Basic usage: 暇だったら暇だったで、何をすればよいか迷う。 means that having free time brings its own problem of not knowing what to do.

Repeating the same state
- 便利だったら便利だったで accepts convenience as the condition and then discusses concerns arising from it. It differs from listing separate, unrelated conditions.
Adjective inflection and time
- 忙しい becomes 忙しかったら忙しかったで, and 暇だ becomes 暇だったら暇だったで. The た forms in this condition do not alone establish that the situation is in the past.