This phrase means that if something happens, that very thing causes a problem. It shows that no matter what, there is an issue or a certain situation.
Verb [た-form] + ら + Verb [た-form] + でPrimary
い-Adjective [past] + ら + い-Adjective [past] + で
な-Adjective [past] + ら + な-Adjective [past] + で
Noun + だったら + Noun + だった + で
This phrase means that if something happens, that very thing causes a problem. It shows that no matter what, there is an issue or a certain situation.
家が広かったら広かったで、掃除が大変そうだ。
If the house is spacious, that in itself means cleaning seems like a lot of work.
子供がいなかったらいなかったで、寂しいものだろう。
If you don't have children, that in itself is probably lonely.
給料は多かったら多かったで税金も高くなるから、結局あまり変わらないかもしれない。
As for salary, if it's high, that means taxes are also high, so in the end, it might not make much of a difference.
彼は来たら来たで文句を言うし、来なかったら来なかったで心配になるし、本当に面倒な人だ。
If he comes, he complains; if he doesn't come, I get worried. He's such a troublesome person.
せっかくの休みも、予定があったらあったで疲れたし、なかったらなかったで一日を無駄にした気分になった。
Even on my precious day off, if I had plans, that was tiring in its own way, and if I didn't, I felt like I wasted the day.
This phrase shows that something will have its own special issues. It is like saying, "If this happens, then that is how it will be." It can sound like a small complaint. Or it can sound like you are just accepting things.
This is different from "if X happens." That phrase is just a simple guess. This grammar means X happening causes its own problems. It is also not like saying "if X had happened" about the past.
Don't use this when the first part and second part are different. For example, don't say 'If I had money, I spent it'. The part after 'たら〜たで' cannot be a command or a request.
Use this when you want to show two sides of a situation. It means there is no perfect choice. It shows that every choice has good and bad parts.
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