Conditionals: V-(으)면 (If / When)
The pattern -(으)면 expresses conditions, similar to English "if" or "when." It is one of the most essential grammar patterns in Korean.
Formation
| Verb Stem Ending | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Vowel | + 면 | 가다 → 가면 (if/when [I] go) |
| Consonant | + 으면 | 먹다 → 먹으면 (if/when [I] eat) |
| ㄹ ending | ㄹ stays + 면 | 살다 → 살면 (if/when [I] live) |
Conjugation Table
| Verb | Stem | -(으)면 |
|---|---|---|
| 가다 (to go) | 가 | 가면 |
| 오다 (to come) | 오 | 오면 |
| 먹다 (to eat) | 먹 | 먹으면 |
| 있다 (to have/be) | 있 | 있으면 |
| 없다 (to not have) | 없 | 없으면 |
| 하다 (to do) | 하 | 하면 |
| 좋다 (to be good) | 좋 | 좋으면 |
| 살다 (to live) | 살 | 살면 |
| 만들다 (to make) | 만들 | 만들면 |
Uses of -(으)면
1. Real Conditions (If)
| Korean | Translation |
|---|---|
| 시간이 있으면 영화를 봐요. | If I have time, I watch a movie. |
| 돈이 있으면 여행을 가고 싶어요. | If I have money, I want to travel. |
| 비가 오면 집에 있어요. | If it rains, I stay home. |
| 모르면 물어보세요. | If you don't know, please ask. |
2. Hypothetical Conditions (If -- Unlikely)
| Korean | Translation |
|---|---|
| 로또에 당첨되면 집을 살 거예요. | If I win the lottery, I'll buy a house. |
| 한국 사람이면 좋겠어요. | I wish I were Korean. (If I were Korean, it would be nice.) |
3. Habitual Actions (When / Whenever)
| Korean | Translation |
|---|---|
| 집에 오면 손을 씻어요. | When I come home, I wash my hands. |
| 주말이면 보통 운동해요. | On weekends (whenever it's the weekend), I usually exercise. |
| 봄이 오면 꽃이 피어요. | When spring comes, flowers bloom. |
4. Future Plans (When)
| Korean | Translation |
|---|---|
| 졸업하면 뭐 할 거예요? | What will you do when you graduate? |
| 한국에 가면 뭐 먹고 싶어요? | When you go to Korea, what do you want to eat? |
| 크면 뭐가 되고 싶어요? | What do you want to be when you grow up? |
Rules for -(으)면
- No past tense before -(으)면 (for conditions):
| Incorrect | Correct |
|---|---|
| 시간이 있었으면 | 시간이 있으면 (for present/future conditions) |
Exception: Past tense -(았/었)으면 is used for wishes about the past: - 어제 갔으면 좋았을 텐데. (I wish I had gone yesterday.)
- No imperative in the -(으)면 clause itself (the result clause can be imperative):
- 모르면 물어보세요. (If you don't know, ask.) -- Correct.
Time Expressions: N+때 and V-ㄹ 때 (When)
N+때 (At the Time of N)
Simply add 때 after a noun that represents a time or period:
| Korean | Translation |
|---|---|
| 어릴 때 | when (I was) young |
| 방학 때 | during vacation |
| 점심 때 | at lunchtime |
| 크리스마스 때 | at Christmas time |
| 그때 | at that time |
V-ㄹ/을 때 (When Doing V)
| Verb Stem Ending | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Vowel | + ㄹ 때 | 가다 → 갈 때 (when going) |
| Consonant | + 을 때 | 먹다 → 먹을 때 (when eating) |
| ㄹ ending | + 때 | 살다 → 살 때 (when living) |
Conjugation Table for -ㄹ/을 때
| Verb | Stem | -ㄹ/을 때 |
|---|---|---|
| 가다 (to go) | 가 | 갈 때 |
| 먹다 (to eat) | 먹 | 먹을 때 |
| 오다 (to come) | 오 | 올 때 |
| 자다 (to sleep) | 자 | 잘 때 |
| 어리다 (young) | 어리 | 어릴 때 |
| 슬프다 (sad) | 슬프 | 슬플 때 |
| 살다 (to live) | 살 | 살 때 |
Example Sentences
| Korean | Translation |
|---|---|
| 어릴 때 한국에 살았어요. | When I was young, I lived in Korea. |
| 슬플 때 음악을 들어요. | When I'm sad, I listen to music. |
| 밥을 먹을 때 텔레비전을 봐요. | When I eat, I watch TV. |
| 잘 때 불을 꺼요. | When I sleep, I turn off the light. |
| 한국에 갈 때 뭐 사고 싶어요? | When you go to Korea, what do you want to buy? |
Past Tense: -았/었을 때
To say "when [something happened in the past]":
| Present | Past |
|---|---|
| 갈 때 (when going) | 갔을 때 (when [I] went) |
| 어릴 때 (when young) | -- (어리다 already implies past with 때) |
| Korean | Translation |
|---|---|
| 한국에 갔을 때 김치를 많이 먹었어요. | When I went to Korea, I ate a lot of kimchi. |
| 처음 만났을 때 친절했어요. | When we first met, [they] were kind. |
-(으)면 vs -ㄹ 때: What's the Difference?
Both can translate to "when" in English, but they differ in focus:
| Feature | -(으)면 | -ㄹ 때 |
|---|---|---|
| Primary meaning | If / condition | When / time point |
| Focus | Condition being met | Specific moment in time |
| Hypothetical | Yes | No (actual events) |
| Habitual | Yes | Yes |
Comparison
| -(으)면 | -ㄹ 때 | Nuance Difference |
|---|---|---|
| 비가 오면 집에 있어요. | 비가 올 때 집에 있어요. | If it rains → When it rains |
| 졸업하면 뭐 할 거예요? | 졸업할 때 뭐 할 거예요? | Upon graduating (condition) → At graduation time |
| 한국에 가면 | 한국에 갈 때 | If/when you go (conditional) → When you go (time) |
Common Patterns
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -(으)면 좋겠다 | I wish... | 한국에 가면 좋겠어요. (I wish I could go to Korea.) |
| -(으)면 되다 | It's fine if... | 내일까지 하면 돼요. (It's fine if you do it by tomorrow.) |
| -(으)면 안 되다 | Must not | 여기서 사진을 찍으면 안 돼요. (You must not take photos here.) |
| -ㄹ 때마다 | Every time | 한국에 갈 때마다 김치를 사요. (Every time I go to Korea, I buy kimchi.) |
Practice
Translate using -(으)면 or -ㄹ 때:
- If the weather is nice, let's go for a walk. → 날씨가 좋으면 산책하자.
- When I was young, I liked chocolate. → 어릴 때 초콜릿을 좋아했어요.
- If you practice every day, you'll improve. → 매일 연습하면 잘할 수 있어요.
- When I'm bored, I read books. → 심심할 때 책을 읽어요.