‘-(으)면’ in Korean grammar: How to make an ‘if’ or ‘when’ sentence in Korean.
Jan 11, 2023
- Author: Niya (Trinidad and Tobago), Alyaa Saeed Almarshoodi (United Arab Emirates)
- Editor: Good Job Korean team
‘-(으)면’ is used to express a supposition or condition about a fact or something occurring repeatedly. So, ‘-(으)면’ has the meaning of ‘if’ (or sometimes it can also be translated as ‘when’). In English, however, ‘if’ or ‘when’ is used at the beginning of the phrase, whereas, in Korean, we add ‘-(으)면’ after a verb.
Now, let’s check out Conjugation and Example sentences!
Conjugation rules
1) When a verb stem ends with a vowel or ‘ㄹ’ final consonant, add ‘-면’.
Ex 1) Vowel-ending verb stem
바쁘다 (to be busy) → 바쁘면 (If I am busy…)
공부하다 (to study) → 공부하면 (If I study…)
Ex 2) ‘ㄹ’-ending verb stem
살다 (to live) → 살면 (If I live…)
만들다 (to make) → 만들면 (If I make...)
2) When a verb stem ends with a consonant other than ‘ㄹ’, add ‘-으면’.
Ex)
맛있다(to be delicious) → 맛있으면 (If it’s delicious...)
읽다(to read) → 읽으면 (If I read…)
Example sentences
야채를 안 먹으면, 아이스크림을 먹을 수 없어요
If you don’t eat vegetables, you can’t eat ice cream.
*야채: vegetable *안(+verb): to not do *먹다: to eat *아이스크림: ice cream
*-수 없다: can’t do something
공부를 너무 많이 하면 머리가 아파요
If I study too much, I get a headache.
(=when I study too much, I get a headache)
*공부하다: to study *너무: too *많이: much *머리가 아프다: to get a headache
*Note:
Sometimes you’ll find ‘만약’ is used in a –(으)면 sentence. 만약 also means ‘if’ or ‘in case’, and it is always used with –(으)면 sentences. 만약 can be used just to make a –(으)면 sentence clearer or used to emphasize that the sentence is a hypothetical situation.
Ex)
만약 공부를 너무 많이 하면 머리가 아파요.
If I study too much, I get a headache.
*공부하다: to study *너무: too *많이: much *머리가 아프다: to get a headache
만약 제가 죽으면 슬퍼할 거예요?
In case of that I die, would you be sad?
*죽다: to die *슬퍼하다: to be sad
-(으)면 sentence in the past tense
When you are trying to use ‘–(으)면’ in a past tense sentence, you just simply remove ‘어요’ and add ‘–으면’.
Ex)
하다(to do) → 했어요(I did) → 했으면(If I did)
좋다(to like) → 좋았어요(I liked) → 좋았으면(If I liked)
슬프다(to be sad) → 슬펐어요(I was sad) → 슬펐으면(If I was sad)
Example sentence
만약 이 영상이 좋았으면 ‘좋아요’ 버튼 눌러 주세요!
If you liked this video, please press ‘like’ button!
*영상: video *좋다: to like *버튼: button *누르다: to press
*NOTE
Sometimes, this past tense conjugation for '(으)면' is not used for a past situation. For example, ‘Past tense w/o 어요 + 으면 좋겠다’ is used to show your hope that something happens.
Ex) 오후에 만났으면 좋겠어요.
I hope we meet in the afternoon
Even though the past tense is used in ‘만났으면’, it is not talking about the past, but talking about a hypothetical situation in the future.
-(으)면 sentence in the future tense
When you are trying to -(으)면 in a future tense sentence, you drop ‘예요’ at the end of the future tense verb and add ‘면’.
Ex)
하다(to do) → 할 거예요(I will do) → 할 거면(If I will do)
보다(to watch) → 볼 거예요(I will watch) → 볼 거면(If I will watch)
운동하다(to exercise) → 운동할 거예요(I will exercise) → 운동할 거면(If I will exercise)
Example sentences
오후에 운동할 거면 같이 해요.
If you will exercise in the afternoon, let’s do it together.
*오후: afternoon *운동하다: to exercise *같이: together *하다: to do
More Example sentences
한국에 살면 한국어를 빨리 배울 거예요.
If you live in Korea, you will learn the Korean language fast.
(=when you live in Korea, you will learn the Korean language fast.)
*살다: to live *빨리: fast *배우다: to learn
비 오면 집 안에서 놀아요.
If it rains, let’s play inside the house.
*비 오다: to rain *집: house *안: inside *놀다: to play
문제를 다 풀었으면 손 들어 주세요.
If you solved all the problems, please raise your hand.
*문제: problem *풀다: to solve *손: hand *들다: to raise
일찍 일어날 거면, 일찍 자야 해요.
If you are going to wake up early, you have to sleep early.
*일찍: early *일어나다: to wake up, to get up *자다: to sleep
- Author: Niya (Trinidad and Tobago), Alyaa Saeed Almarshoodi (United Arab Emirates)
- Editor: Good Job Korean team
