jabi-으면
-으면: If / When — the Default Conditional
If / when — links a condition to a result, suggestion, or evaluation.
How to form it
| When | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Stem ends in a vowel or ㄹ | -면 | 가다 → 가면 / 살다 → 살면 |
| Stem ends in another consonant | -으면 | 먹다 → 먹으면 / 있다 → 있으면 |
| Past condition | -았/었으면 | 갔으면 / 알았으면 |
| Permission — it's fine if / doing X is enough | -(으)면 되다 | 신청만 하면 돼요 |
| Prohibition — you must not | -(으)면 안 되다 | 여기서 사진 찍으면 안 돼요 |
-으면 is the default Korean conditional. English splits if and when; this ending covers both, then adds the permission pair you need every day.
Forms
| Stem | Ending | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Vowel or ㄹ | -면 | 가면, 살면 |
| Other consonant | -으면 | 먹으면, 있으면 |
| Past | -았/었으면 | 갔으면, 알았으면 |
Do not confuse 살면 (살다, to live) with 사면 (사다, to buy). ㄹ-drop before -니까 gives 사니까 from 살다 — that rule does not apply before -면.
If and when
Often the English word is when, not a doubtful if:
봄이 오면 꽃이 펴요.
When spring comes, flowers bloom.
시간 있으면 전화하세요.
If/when you have time, call me.
만약(에) is optional padding for a clearer hypothetical:
만약 비가 오면 취소할 거예요.
If it rains (by any chance), we’ll cancel.
The pair you need: 면 되다 / 면 안 되다
| Pattern | Job | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -(으)면 되다 | permission / “doing X is enough” | 신청만 하면 돼요 |
| -(으)면 안 되다 | prohibition | 여기서 찍으면 안 돼요 |
지금 들어가도 돼요? is a cousin with -어도.
지금 들어가면 돼요 can mean “going in (now) is fine / that’s all you need to do.”
Learn them as a pair. Mixing 돼요 and 안 돼요 flips the rule of the room.
Beside -아서/어서
-아서/어서 states a cause and cannot precede a command. -(으)면 routinely can:
피곤해서 일찍 자요. ❌
피곤하면 일찍 자요. ✅ If you're tired, sleep early.
피곤하니까 일찍 자요. ✅ also fine with [[g:eunikka]]Practice rule
Build the condition with -(으)면, then decide whether the second half is a result, a suggestion, or a 되다 / 안 되다 rule. If English wants “you mustn’t,” reach for 면 안 되다 before inventing a longer sentence.
Do not confuse it with
Taught alongside this
In the Sejong course this appears in 치킨 두 마리를 주문하려고 해요 — Sejong Korean 2, Unit 15, on the theme of 배달. These come with it:
Words used above
Quick check
No sign-up, no score saved — just see if it stuck.
1. What is the conditional of 살다?
2. Which means 'You must not take photos here'?
3. Does -(으)면 always mean hypothetical 'if'?
Common questions
What is 만약 for?
Optional. 만약(에) before -(으)면 softens or flags a hypothetical: 만약 비가 오면…. The conditional still needs -(으)면; 만약 alone is not enough.
How is this different from -을 때?
-을 때 names a time frame ('at the time when'). -(으)면 sets a condition for a result. Overlap exists, but 때 is a noun frame and 면 is a connective.
Is 가면 돼요 the same as 가도 돼요?
Close in many permission situations. 가도 돼요 (it's okay to go) and 가면 돼요 (it's fine if you go / going is enough) both show up; listen for which natives use in each set phrase.
Can -(으)면 precede a command?
Yes — that is normal: 시간 있으면 전화하세요. This is one reason it differs from [[g:aseo-eoseo|-아서/어서]], which cannot precede commands.
Seen in the wild
Lessons where this pattern showed up in real Korean — news, slang, drama lines.