-을라치면
-을라치면: Whenever It Comes To… — That Case as If
Connective: whenever it comes to… — taking that case as the condition.
How to form it
| When | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Batchim stems | -을라치면 | 먹을라치면 / 있을라치면 |
| Vowel / ㄹ stems | -ㄹ라치면 | 갈라치면 / 할라치면 / 말할라치면 |
-을라치면 (-ㄹ라치면) takes that case as the if — whenever it comes to….
Not a one-off soft if. The front names the occasion that triggers the sequel.
Why this is hard
It looks like -(으)면 with extra syllables. Learners ignore the case/habit flavour. Neighbours like -을 때 mark time; this one treats the act as a condition that tends to bring the same result.
What it does
말할라치면 긴장이 돼요.
먹을라치면 배가 아파요.
갈라치면 비가 와요.
할라치면 방해가 생겨요.Front = the triggering case. Back = what reliably follows.
Forms
Batchim -을라치면; vowel / ㄹ -ㄹ라치면.
먹다 → 먹을라치면
말하다 → 말할라치면
가다 → 갈라치면When not to use it
Do not use it for every soft if — -(으)면.
Do not use it as a pure clock-time marker — -을 때.
Do not confuse it with intention-as-if -자면①.
Neighbours — and why they differ
| Form | Why it is not this slot |
|---|---|
| -(으)면 | Broad if/when. |
| -을 때 | Time-when. |
| -자면① | If you mean to… |
Ask: is this the case that triggers the sequel? If yes, -을라치면. If soft if, stay with -면.
Do not confuse it with
Taught alongside this
On the jabi learning path, this appears in 연결어미 (conjunctive ending) — Advanced Korean 2, Unit 2, on the theme of conjunctive ending. These come with it:
Words used above
Quick check
No sign-up, no score saved — just see if it stuck.
1. You are describing something that happens every single time you try to speak up, not once. Which line reports the habit?
2. Which sentence attaches the ending to a ㄹ-final stem the way the forms table shows?
3. A friend asks how to say a plain, everyday if in conversation. What do you tell them to reach for?
Common questions
Job?
Take ‘that occasion / that act’ as the condition — often with habitual colour.
Vs -을 때?
-을 때 marks time-when. -을라치면 frames the case as an if-trigger.
Vs -자면①?
-자면① starts from intention. This slot starts from the case of doing it.
Register?
Storytelling and careful talk about habits or recurring reactions.