If: ~(으)면 (Conditional)

Overview

~(으)면 is the primary conditional connector in Korean, equivalent to "if" or "when" in English. It covers:

1. Conditional -- "if this happens, then that will happen"
2. Hypothetical -- "if this were the case..."
3. Habitual/General truth -- "when/whenever this happens..."

It is one of the most essential grammar points in Korean.

How to Form ~(으)면

Conjugation table

With past tense (았/었으면)

Past tense + (으)면 expresses a wish or hypothetical about the past:

Part 1: Simple Conditionals ("If...")

The most basic use of ~(으)면 states a condition and its result.

• 비가 오면 집에 있을 거예요. (If it rains, I'll stay home.)
• 시간이 있으면 같이 가요. (If you have time, let's go together.)
• 모르면 물어보세요. (If you don't know, please ask.)
• 배가 고프면 밥 먹으세요. (If you're hungry, please eat.)
• 돈이 있으면 여행가고 싶어요. (If I have money, I want to travel.)

~(으)면 works freely with commands and suggestions (unlike ~아/어서): - 피곤하면 쉬세요. (If you're tired, rest.) - 심심하면 영화 보자. (If you're bored, let's watch a movie.)

Part 2: Habitual / General Truth ("When...")

When ~(으)면 describes something that always or generally happens, it translates more naturally as "when" or "whenever."

• 봄이 오면 꽃이 피어요. (When spring comes, flowers bloom.)
• 운동하면 기분이 좋아져요. (When you exercise, you feel better.)
• 많이 먹으면 배가 아파요. (When you eat a lot, your stomach hurts.)
• 아이스크림을 먹으면 행복해요. (When I eat ice cream, I'm happy.)

Part 3: Hypothetical ("If it were...")

~(으)면 can express hypothetical or imagined scenarios:

• 한국에 가면 뭐 하고 싶어요? (If you go to Korea, what do you want to do?)
• 로또에 당첨되면 집을 살 거예요. (If I win the lottery, I'll buy a house.)
• 시간을 되돌릴 수 있으면 좋겠어요. (If I could turn back time, that would be great.)
• 날 수 있으면 좋겠어요. (If I could fly, that would be great.)

Part 4: ~(으)면 좋겠다 (Wishes)

~(으)면 좋겠다 is a very common pattern meaning "I wish..." or "It would be nice if..."

• 비가 안 오면 좋겠어요. (I wish it wouldn't rain.)
• 시간이 더 있으면 좋겠어요. (I wish I had more time.)
• 빨리 끝나면 좋겠어요. (I wish it would end quickly.)
• 한국어를 잘 하면 좋겠어요. (I wish I were good at Korean.)

~았/었으면 좋겠다 (Stronger wish, often unfulfilled)

• 어제 갔으면 좋겠어요. (I wish I had gone yesterday.)
• 더 일찍 시작했으면 좋겠어요. (I wish I had started earlier.)
• 키가 더 컸으면 좋겠어요. (I wish I were taller.)

Note: ~았/었으면 좋겠다 can also express wishes about the present that are contrary to fact (similar to English subjunctive).

Part 5: ~(으)면 되다 (All you need to do is...)

~(으)면 되다 means "it will be fine if..." or "all you need to do is..."

• 여기에 이름을 쓰면 돼요. (Just write your name here.)
• 직진하면 돼요. (Just go straight.)
• 버튼을 누르면 돼요. (Just press the button.)
• 내일까지 내면 돼요. (You just need to submit it by tomorrow.)

Part 6: ~(으)면 안 되다 (Must not / Not allowed)

~(으)면 안 되다 means "must not" or "it's not okay if..."

• 여기서 담배를 피우면 안 돼요. (You must not smoke here.)
• 늦으면 안 돼요. (You must not be late.)
• 거짓말하면 안 돼요. (You must not lie.)
• 포기하면 안 돼요. (You must not give up.)

Irregular Verbs with ~(으)면

Some common irregular verbs change their stem before ~(으)면:

~(으)면 vs. Other Conditionals

Common Mistakes

Summary

1. ~(으)면 = "if/when" -- vowel stems + 면, consonant stems + 으면.
2. Covers conditionals, hypotheticals, habitual truths, and wishes.
3. Works freely with commands, suggestions, statements, and questions.
4. Key patterns: ~(으)면 좋겠다 (wish), ~(으)면 되다 (just need to), ~(으)면 안 되다 (must not).
5. ㄹ stems keep ㄹ and use ~면. ㅂ irregular stems change ㅂ → 우.
6. Past tense ~았/었으면 expresses wishes about past events or contrary-to-fact present situations.