(으)면 and ㄹ/을 때
By Daniel Buckley · 9 minute read · TOPIK 1
Vocabulary
- 때 - time, the time when
- 시간 - time, free time
- 도착하다 - to arrive
- 어리다 - to be young (a child)
- 아프다 - to hurt, to be ill
- 약 - medicine
- 방학 - school holidays
- 전화하다 - to phone
- 비행기 - plane
- 그러면 - then, in that case
"When I get home, I'll call you." "When I was a kid, I lived in Busan." English uses "when" for both, and they feel like the same word. Korean uses different forms.
The first sentence sets a condition, and the second only says when something was true. (으)면 does the first job and ㄹ/을 때 does the second. Getting a feel for the split takes a while, because English gives you no help.
(으)면: if, and once
(으)면 goes on the end of the first clause and makes it a condition for the second. English translates it as "if" or "when" depending on how likely the thing is. Korean doesn't ask. 비가 오면 is the same form whether rain is doubtful or certain.
Making the (으)면 form
- Stem ends in a vowel or ㄹ: add 면.가다 → 가면살다 → 살면
- Stem ends in any other consonant: add 으면.먹다 → 먹으면있다 → 있으면
- Nouns: add 이면, or 면 after a vowel.학생 → 학생이면친구 → 친구면
으 starts with a vowel, so irregular verbs change here just as they do before 아/어: 듣다 gives 들으면 and 춥다 gives 추우면.
Pick a verb
먹다먹먹으면
비가 오면 집에 있을 거예요.
If rain comes, (I) will be at home.
시간이 있으면 영화를 보고 싶어요.
If (I) have time, (I) want to see movie.
집에 도착하면 전화할 거예요.
When (I) arrive home, (I) will call.
여름이 되면 바다에 가고 싶어요.
When summer comes, (I) want to go to sea.
커피를 마시면 잠이 안 와요.
If (I) drink coffee, sleep doesn't come.
학생이면 표가 더 싸요.
If (you) are student, ticket is more cheap.
The (으)면 clause normally takes no future ending, even when it's about tomorrow. For something that has to be finished first, use 았/었으면: 다 먹었으면 같이 가요, if you've finished eating, let's go.
※ Inside a (으)면 or ㄹ/을 때 clause, the subject usually takes 이/가 rather than 은/는: 친구가 오면 같이 먹어요. 은/는 belongs to the sentence as a whole.
ㄹ/을 때: the time when
때 is a noun meaning time or moment. ㄹ/을 joins the verb to it, so 갈 때 is "the time of going". The clause points at a time and sets no condition.
Making the ㄹ/을 때 form
- Stem ends in a vowel: add ㄹ 때. Stem ends in ㄹ: add 때.가다 → 갈 때살다 → 살 때
- Stem ends in any other consonant: add 을 때.먹다 → 먹을 때듣다 → 들을 때
- Past: add 을 때 to the 았/었 stem.먹었을 때갔을 때
- Nouns: add 때 on its own.방학 때학생 때
Pick a verb
먹다먹먹을 때
밥을 먹을 때 텔레비전을 봐요.
When (I) eat meal, (I) watch television.
바쁠 때 커피를 많이 마셔요.
When (I) am busy, (I) drink a lot of coffee.
머리가 아플 때 약을 먹어요.
When head hurts, (I) take medicine.
방학 때 한국에 갈 거예요.
At the time of school holidays, (I) will go to Korea.
어렸을 때 부산에 살았어요.
When (I) was young, (I) lived in Busan.
※ 어릴 때 and 어렸을 때 both mean "when I was young". With adjectives the past form often adds nothing. With verbs it can change the meaning, which is the next section.
갈 때 or 갔을 때
갈 때 is the time of going, while you're still on your way. 갔을 때 is the time after you've gone, when you're there. This matters most with verbs of movement, and English "when I went" hides it.
부산에 갈 때 기차에서 잤어요.
When going to Busan, (I) slept on train.
부산에 갔을 때 친구를 만났어요.
When (I) had gone to Busan, (I) met friend (there).
집에 올 때 빵을 샀어요.
When coming home, (I) bought bread.
집에 왔을 때 동생이 자고 있었어요.
When (I) had come home, younger sibling was sleeping.
(으)면 or ㄹ/을 때?
(으)면 makes the first clause a condition for the rest. ㄹ/을 때 only says when the rest happens. A single event in the past isn't a condition, so it takes 때.
Compare these two. 가면 is about what follows once you're there. 갈 때 is about the going itself.
부산에 가면 바다를 보고 싶어요.
Once (I) go to Busan, (I) want to see sea.
부산에 갈 때 비행기를 탈 거예요.
When going to Busan, (I) will take plane.
With present habits the two often overlap: 바쁘면 and 바쁠 때 can both be "when I'm busy". The difference is only in how you frame it, as a time or as a condition. Don't worry about it yet.
___ 부산에 살았어요.
When I was young, I lived in Busan.
내일 비가 ___ 집에 있을 거예요.
If it rains tomorrow, I'll stay home.
밥을 ___ 텔레비전을 봐요.
When I eat, I watch television.
한국에 ___ 친구를 만났어요.
When I went to Korea, I met a friend there.
Listen and type
1 / 3
Play it as often as you like.
그러면: then
그러면 is (으)면 on 그렇다, from lesson 18. It starts a new sentence and means "in that case". In conversation you'll often hear it shortened to 그럼.
- A
주말에 시간이 있으면 같이 영화를 봐요.
On weekend time if have, together see movie.
- B
토요일은 바빠서 못 가요. 일요일은 괜찮아요.
Saturday busy, so can't go. Sunday is fine.
- A
그러면 일요일에 봐요. 영화가 끝나면 저녁도 같이 먹어요.
Then on Sunday see. Movie when finishes, dinner too together eat.
- B
좋아요.
Good.
Common mistakes
어렸으면 부산에 살았어요.
어렸을 때 부산에 살았어요.
(으)면 sets a condition, and this is a fact about the past. English "when" hides the difference.
내일 비가 올 거면 집에 있을 거예요.
내일 비가 오면 집에 있을 거예요.
For a plain "if", (으)면 goes straight on the verb. 올 거면 means "if it's going to", which is a different idea.
한국에 살으면 한국어를 많이 쓸 거예요.
한국에 살면 한국어를 많이 쓸 거예요.
ㄹ stems take no 으: 살면, and 살 때 too.
Check yourself
Quick check
1 / 6
비가 ___ 집에 있을 거예요. (오다) If it rains, I'll stay home.
The stem ends in a vowel.
Summary
| Dictionary | Stem | (으)면 |
|---|---|---|
| 먹다 | 먹 | 먹으면 |
| 가다 | 가 | 가면 |
| 살다 | 살 | 살면 |
| 듣다 | 듣 | 들으면 |
| 춥다 | 춥 | 추우면 |
| 하다 | 하 | 하면 |
| Dictionary | Stem | ㄹ/을 때 |
|---|---|---|
| 먹다 | 먹 | 먹을 때 |
| 가다 | 가 | 갈 때 |
| 살다 | 살 | 살 때 |
| 듣다 | 듣 | 들을 때 |
| 춥다 | 춥 | 추울 때 |
| 하다 | 하 | 할 때 |
Now you can say
시간이 있으면 같이 가요.
If (you) have time, (let's) go together.
집에 도착하면 전화할 거예요.
When (I) arrive home, (I) will call.
어렸을 때 부산에 살았어요.
When (I) was young, (I) lived in Busan.
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