~다면 and 았/었더라면: supposing, and if only
By Daniel Buckley · 14 minute read · TOPIK 3
Vocabulary
- 복권 - lottery ticket
- 당첨되다 - to win (a lottery, a draw)
- 경우 - case, situation
- 출발하다 - to set off
- 도착하다 - to arrive
- 취소되다 - to be cancelled
- 합격하다 - to pass (an exam)
- 맞다 - to get caught in (rain)
- 들르다 - to drop by
(으)면 has carried every "if" you've needed so far, and it could go on carrying most of them. 복권에 당첨되면 뭘 할 거예요? is a fine way to ask what someone would do if they won the lottery.
What (으)면 doesn't do by itself is show how you feel about the "if": whether you're only imagining it, or wish it had gone the other way. Korean has forms for that, and a separate "if" for rulebooks.
~다면: suppose
다면 is the plain form from speech levels plus 면, so you've built it already in quotes: 간다, 간다고, 간다면. It keeps the feel of those quotes. You put the idea at arm's length, as if to say "if it were the case that".
Making ~다면
- Verbs: ㄴ다면, or 는다면 after a consonant.가다 → 간다면먹다 → 먹는다면
- Adjectives, 있다 and 없다: 다면 on the stem.좋다 → 좋다면있다 → 있다면
- Past: add 다면 after 았/었.갔다면
- Nouns: add 이라면, or 라면 after a vowel.학생 → 학생이라면친구 → 친구라면
Pick a verb
가다가간다면
복권에 당첨된다면 뭘 하고 싶어요?
If you won the lottery, what would you want to do?
돈이 많다면 세계 여행을 하고 싶어요.
If I had a lot of money, I'd want to travel the world.
제가 민수 씨라면 안 갈 거예요.
If I were you, Minsu, I wouldn't go.
다시 스무 살이 될 수 있다면 뭘 할 거예요?
If you could be twenty again, what would you do?
내일 날씨가 좋다면 등산을 갈 거예요.
If the weather's good tomorrow, I'll go hiking.
민수 씨가 간다면 저도 갈게요.
If Minsu's going, I'll go too.
Example 3 is the "if I were you" you've been missing. Most of the others could take (으)면 with little change. 다면 makes the supposing more visible, and it's the better fit when the thing is unlikely or impossible, or when it's something you can't take for granted.
What it doesn't suit is something that's sure to happen. Spring comes whatever you think, and you expect to get home tonight. Those take (으)면, because there's nothing to suppose.
봄이 오면 꽃이 피어요.
When spring comes, flowers bloom.
집에 도착하면 전화할게요.
I'll call when I get home.
~았/었더라면: if only
았/었더라면 looks back at what didn't happen. You left late, so "if we'd left earlier" is contrary to the facts, and the tone is usually regret or relief. It goes on the 았/었 stem.
The second half says what would have followed, and the plainest way to say that is ㄹ/을 거예요 on the 았/었 stem: 늦었을 거예요, would have been late. It's as unreal as the first half, so it can't be a plain statement like 안 늦어요.
On its own, the same form is a guess about the past: 민수 씨는 벌써 갔을 거예요, Minsu will have left by now.
Making 았/었더라면
- Verbs and adjectives: add 더라면 to the 았/었 stem.가다 → 갔더라면먹다 → 먹었더라면
- Nouns: 이었더라면, or 였더라면 after a vowel.학생 → 학생이었더라면친구 → 친구였더라면
- What would have followed: 았/었을 거예요.늦었을 거예요좋았을 거예요
Pick a verb
가다갔어요갔더라면
조금 일찍 출발했더라면 안 늦었을 거예요.
If we'd set off a bit earlier, we wouldn't have been late.
민수 씨 말을 들었더라면 좋았을 거예요.
If only I'd listened to Minsu.
우산을 가져왔더라면 비를 안 맞았을 거예요.
If I'd brought an umbrella, I wouldn't have got wet.
더 열심히 공부했더라면 합격했을 거예요.
If I'd studied harder, I'd have passed.
지수 씨가 없었더라면 못 끝냈을 거예요.
If Jisu hadn't been there, I couldn't have finished.
※ Plain 았/었으면 and 았/었다면 can do this job too, with much the same meaning: 일찍 출발했으면 안 늦었을 거예요. The difference is that they have other uses, while 았/었더라면 only ever looks back at what didn't happen. In everyday speech I'd reach for 았/었으면.
~거든: when that happens, do this
This is not the 거든요 you know, which ends a sentence and explains something. This one has no 요, it stands in the middle of a sentence, and it means "if" or "once that happens".
What matters is the second half, which usually tells someone what to do, suggests something, or says what you will do. It's less at home with a plain report of how things are. So think of it as setting a trigger: when this happens, here's the instruction.
Making ~거든
- Verbs and adjectives: drop 다, add 거든.만나다 → 만나거든있다 → 있거든
- Nouns: add 이거든, or 거든 after a vowel.학생 → 학생이거든친구 → 친구거든
Pick a verb
만나다만나만나거든
민수 씨를 만나거든 이 책 좀 전해 주세요.
If you see Minsu, please give him this book.
시간이 있거든 잠깐 들르세요.
If you've got time, drop by for a bit.
피곤하거든 먼저 자요.
If you're tired, go to bed before me.
한국에 오거든 꼭 연락하세요.
When you come to Korea, be sure to get in touch.
서울에 도착하거든 전화할게요.
I'll call you once I get to Seoul.
누가 물어보거든 모른다고 하세요.
If anyone asks, say you don't know.
(으)면 would be fine in every one of these, so you never have to use 거든 yourself. The reason to know it is that you'll hear it, and it's easy to mistake for 거든요.
경우: in the event of
경우 is a noun meaning a case or situation, so it takes the modifier forms you know from ~는 것. It's the "if" of notices, rules and instructions, where "in the event of" would sound right in English. In notices, ㄹ/을 경우 is probably the one you'll see most, because they're about what might happen.
Using 경우
- Something that may happen: ㄹ/을 경우.비가 올 경우문제가 있을 경우
- A situation as it stands: 는 경우, and ㄴ/은 경우 for adjectives.표가 없는 경우몸이 아픈 경우
- Something already done: ㄴ/은 경우.늦게 도착한 경우
- After a noun: 의 경우 for "in the case of", or 인 경우 for "if it is".학생의 경우학생인 경우
비가 올 경우에는 행사가 취소됩니다.
In the event of rain, the event will be cancelled.
문제가 있을 경우 연락 주시기 바랍니다.
If there's a problem, please contact us.
표가 없는 경우에는 들어갈 수 없습니다.
If you have no ticket, you can't go in.
늦게 도착한 경우에는 수업을 들을 수 없습니다.
If you arrive late, you won't be able to attend the class.
이런 경우에는 어떻게 해요?
What do you do in a case like this?
※ 경우가 있다 and 경우가 많다 aren't "if" at all. They say how often something happens: 저는 점심을 안 먹는 경우가 많아요, I often skip lunch.
만 아니면: if it weren't for
Take 만, only, and add 아니면, if it isn't. N만 아니면 picks out one thing as the single obstacle: if it weren't for this, everything would be fine. It goes straight on a noun.
For the past, use 아니었으면 or 아니었더라면, with 았/었을 거예요 to follow.
시험만 아니면 같이 가고 싶어요.
If it weren't for the exam, I'd love to go.
오늘만 아니면 괜찮아요.
Any day but today is fine.
그 사람만 아니면 누구든지 좋아요.
Anyone but him is fine.
주말만 아니면 언제든지 괜찮아요.
Any time but the weekend is fine.
일만 아니었으면 갔을 거예요.
If it hadn't been for work, I'd have gone.
Which if?
Several of these overlap with (으)면, and I'd reach for (으)면 when in doubt. These sentences are ones where the choice does matter.
제가 ___ 그렇게 안 할 거예요.
If I were Minsu, I wouldn't do that.
겨울이 ___ 추워져요.
When winter comes, it gets cold.
어제 일찍 ___ 안 피곤했을 거예요.
If I'd gone to bed early last night, I wouldn't have been tired.
불이 날 ___ 엘리베이터를 타지 마십시오.
In the event of a fire, do not use the lift.
민수 씨를 ___ 제가 찾는다고 전해 주세요.
If you see Minsu, tell him I'm looking for him.
Listen and type
1 / 3
Play it as often as you like.
In a conversation
- A
복권에 당첨된다면 뭘 할 거예요?
Lottery if were to win what will do?
- B
회사를 그만둘 거예요. 지수 씨라면 어떻게 할 거예요?
Company will quit. Jisu if were how will do?
- A
저는 집을 살 거예요. 작년에 샀더라면 더 쌌을 거예요.
I house will buy. Last year if had bought cheaper would have been.
- B
복권은 샀어요?
Lottery ticket bought?
- A
아직요. 시간이 있거든 같이 사러 가요.
Not yet. Time if have together go buy.
Common mistakes
민수 씨가 학생다면 표가 더 싸요.
민수 씨가 학생이라면 표가 더 싸요.
이다 takes 라면, as it took 라고. Nouns take (이)라면.
일찍 출발했더라면 안 늦어요.
일찍 출발했더라면 안 늦었을 거예요.
A "had done" needs a "would have" after it, not a present.
날씨가 좋거든 사람이 많아요.
날씨가 좋으면 사람이 많아요.
This is a general fact, and 거든 doesn't lead into those. It wants what to do or what you'll do.
One sentence in each group is wrong. Tap it.
Check yourself
Quick check
1 / 6
복권에 ___ 뭘 하고 싶어요? (당첨되다, with 다면) If you won the lottery, what would you want to do?
The plain form, then 면.
Summary
The ifs beyond (으)면
- 다면: supposing. Not for what's sure to happen.간다면, 먹는다면, 좋다면, 학생이라면
- 았/었더라면: if only, about the past. Then 았/었을 거예요.일찍 갔더라면 만났을 거예요
- 거든: once this happens, do this. Then an instruction, a suggestion or what you'll do.도착하거든 전화하세요
- 경우: in the event of. Notices and rules.비가 올 경우, 표가 없는 경우
- 만 아니면: if it weren't for this one thing.시험만 아니면
Now you can say
제가 민수 씨라면 안 갈 거예요.
If I were you, Minsu, I wouldn't go.
민수 씨 말을 들었더라면 좋았을 거예요.
If only I'd listened to Minsu.
오늘만 아니면 괜찮아요.
Any day but today is fine.
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