Planning a picnic, asking for permission, or daydreaming about winning the lottery—all of these need conditionals. In Korean, “if,” “when,” and “as long as” come alive with endings like -(으)면, -다면, -(으)려면, and the super handy -(으)면 되다/안 되다. Today you’ll learn how to build and use them naturally, with real-life examples and quick practice along the way.

The core conditional: -(으)면

-(으)면 is your go-to “if/when” ending. It attaches to verb/adjective stems.

• Consonant ending stem + 으면: 먹으면, 읽으면, 있으면
• Vowel ending stem + 면: 가면, 쉬면, 하면

Meaning: if/when X happens, Y happens. It works for real conditions and general truths.

Tip: You can add 만약(에) for emphasis (“if by any chance”), but everyday speech often drops it.

• 비가 오면 집에 있을 거예요. If it rains, I’ll stay home.
• 시간이 있으면 같이 가요. If you have time, let’s go together.
• 한국어를 매일 연습하면 늘어요. If you practice Korean every day, you improve.

시간이 있 같이 영화 볼게요.

Hopes and wishes: -(으)면 좋겠다 vs. -았/었으면 좋겠다

Both mean “I hope/wish…,” but nuance differs:

• -(으)면 좋겠다: a light hope about the future.
  • 내일 시간이 나면 좋겠어요. I hope I have time tomorrow.
• -았/었으면 좋겠다: a stronger wish; often used for desires that feel unlikely or imagined (including present/future wishes).
  • 돈이 좀 더 있었으면 좋겠어요. I wish I had a bit more money.
  • 비가 안 왔으면 좋겠어요. I wish it wouldn’t rain.

돈이 좀 더 있었 좋겠어요.

돈이 좀 더 있었면 좋겠어요. → 돈이 좀 더 있었으면 좋겠어요. For wishes, -았/었으면 좋겠다 is the natural pattern. Don’t drop the ㅆ.

Rules, permission, and requirements: -(으)면 되다 / -(으)면 안 되다

-(으)면 되다: “All you need to do is…” / “That’s sufficient.”

• 지하철을 타려면 카드만 찍으면 돼요. If you want to take the subway, you just need to tap your card.
• 문의가 있으면 사무실로 전화하면 돼요. If you have questions, you can just call the office.

-(으)면 안 되다: “You must not…” / “You can’t (do that if…).”

• 여기서는 담배를 피우면 안 돼요. You can’t smoke here.
• 시험 중에는 휴대폰을 켜면 안 됩니다. During exams, you must not turn on your phone. (formal)

박물관에서는 플래시를 사용하 안 돼요.

Hypotheticals and what-ifs: -다면 / -(으)ㄴ/는다면

Use -다면 (or -(으)ㄴ/는다면) for less likely or more hypothetical conditions—great for “what if…?” thinking, plans B, or imagination.

• 시간이 많다면 여행을 더 다니고 싶어요. If I had lots of time, I’d travel more.
• 복권에 당첨된다면 집을 사고 싶어요. If I won the lottery, I’d like to buy a house.
• 그분이 맞는다면 큰일이에요. If that’s really the person, it’s a big deal.

Nuance: -(으)ㄴ/는다면 is slightly more formal/literary than -다면, but both are common in speech. With adjectives or past facts, use -(으)ㄴ다면; with actions in the present/future, -는다면.

• 그 소문이 사실이라면 조심해야 해요. If that rumor is true, we should be careful.
• 내일 비가 온다면 계획을 바꿔야 해요. If it rains tomorrow, we need to change plans.

Goals and instructions: -(으)려면

-(으)려면 means “if you want to/if you intend to (do X), then…” Often followed by advice, requirements, or instructions.

• 한국 대학에 입학하려면 한국어 능력시험(TOPIK)이 필요해요. If you want to enter a Korean university, you need TOPIK.
• 이 문제를 빨리 해결하려면 먼저 원인을 찾아야 해요. If you want to solve this quickly, you need to find the cause first.
• 환불받으려면 영수증을 가져오세요. If you want a refund, bring your receipt.

시간 되거든 저는 집에 있어요. → 시간 되거든 연락하세요. After -거든, prefer requests/suggestions (imperative/propositive).

Quick practice wrap-up

Let’s check your grasp across forms you’ll use every day.

회의가 시작되 늦게 들어오면 안 돼요.

Cultural note: sounding natural

• Dropping 만약(에) is fine in casual talk; add it for clarity or emphasis.
• In public or formal settings, choose -(으)면 안 됩니다 and -(으)면 됩니다 over casual -요 forms.
• -(으)면 좋겠어요 is a polite, soft wish. If it affects someone else directly, this softness matters: 내일 일찍 오시면 좋겠어요 feels like a gentle request rather than an order.
• Using 그럼/그러면 helps knit your thoughts together after an if-clause—just like “then” in English.

Summary

• -(으)면: basic “if/when.”
• -(으)면 좋겠다 / -았/었으면 좋겠다: hopes and wishes (light vs. stronger/counterfactual feel).
• -(으)면 되다 / -(으)면 안 되다: permission, sufficiency, and rules.
• -다면 / -(으)ㄴ/는다면: hypothetical/what-if.
• -(으)려면: “if you want to/if you intend to,” leading to instructions or requirements.
• -거든: spoken “if,” typically before requests/suggestions.

Keep noticing these patterns in shows, signs, and chats. If you practice a few minutes a day, your Korean will definitely grow—연습하면 느는 법이에요! Great job today.