✍️ Intermediate Day 17: Describing Conditions – ~(으)면 (If / When)

📘 Intermediate Day 17: Describing Conditions – ~(으)면 (If / When)

Welcome to Day 17 of the Intermediate Korean series! Today, we're learning how to express conditions in Korean using a super useful grammar structure: ~(으)면. This structure helps you say things like:

  • "If it rains..."
  • "If you're busy..."
  • "If I have time..."
  • "When I go..."

Let’s explore how to use ~(으)면 to speak naturally about possibilities, suggestions, and outcomes.

📘 1. What is ~(으)면?

~(으)면 is a conditional ending that means “if” or “when.” It’s added to the verb or adjective stem and describes a condition for the next action.

🔧 How to Use:

  • 받침 없는 동사 + 면 → 가면 (if you go)
  • 받침 있는 동사 + 으면 → 먹으면 (if you eat)

⚠️ With 이다 (to be) → 이면 (if it is)


📌 Conditional Sentence Examples

Korean Romanization English Meaning
시간이 있으면 만나요. si-gan-i it-seu-myeon man-na-yo If I have time, I’ll meet you.
비가 오면 집에 있을게요. bi-ga o-myeon ji-be it-seul-ge-yo If it rains, I’ll stay home.
공부하면 잘 할 수 있어요. gong-bu-ha-myeon jal hal su i-sseo-yo If you study, you can do well.
한국에 가면 한복을 입어 보고 싶어요. han-guk-e ga-myeon han-bok-eul i-beo bo-go si-peo-yo If I go to Korea, I want to try on hanbok.

📘 2. Negative Conditional Forms

To say “if not…” use ~지 않으면.

  • 공부하지 않으면 시험을 못 봐요.
    gong-bu-ha-ji an-eu-myeon si-heom-eul mot bwa-yo
    👉 If you don’t study, you won’t pass the test.
  • 운동하지 않으면 건강이 나빠져요.
    un-dong-ha-ji an-eu-myeon geon-gang-i na-ppa-jyeo-yo
    👉 If you don’t exercise, your health will get worse.

📘 Real-Life Dialogue

👦 준호: 내일 영화 보러 갈래요?
👧 수지: 시간이 있으면 갈게요.
👦 준호: 그래요. 비가 안 오면 같이 걸어서 가요.


📘 Practice Sentences

  • 돈이 많으면 세계 여행을 하고 싶어요.
  • 친구를 만나면 커피를 마셔요.
  • 시간이 없으면 다음에 해요.
  • 날씨가 좋으면 소풍 가요.

🧪 Mini Quiz – Can You Finish These?

  1. Translate: “If you’re tired, go to sleep.”
    Click to Show Answer

    피곤하면 자요.

  2. Translate: “If it rains tomorrow, I won’t go out.”
    Click to Show Answer

    내일 비가 오면 안 나가요.

  3. Choose the correct form:
    a) 가면
    b) 가으면
    c) 갑으면
    Click to Show Answer

    ✅ a) 가면


✅ Conclusion

🎉 Great work today! Now you know how to express “if” and “when” in Korean using ~(으)면.

  • ✔️ Add ~면 or ~으면 to the verb/adjective stem
  • ✔️ Use ~지 않으면 to say "if not"
  • ✔️ Practice with future, present, and suggestion sentences!


📘 Coming Up Next

Tomorrow: Intermediate Day 18: Expressing Cause – ~(으)니까 vs ~아/어서 We’ll compare two common ways of saying “because” in Korean!

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