TL;DR 🦄
- (으)면 means if / when.
- Use 으면 after consonant-ending stems: 먹다 → 먹으면.
- Use 면 after vowel-ending stems: 가다 → 가면.
- Attach it to the stem, not the polite ending: 좋다 → 좋으면, not 좋아요면.
🌈 The Big Picture
The grammar (으)면 turns the first part of a sentence into a condition. The second part tells what happens if that condition is true.
Think of it as a tiny “if/when” hinge:
- condition → result
- if this → then that
- when this happens → this happens
Examples:
- 밥을 먹으면 좋아요. = If I eat rice, it is good.
- 학교에 가면 공부해요. = If I go to school, I study.
- 책이 좋으면 읽어요. = If the book is good, I read it.
🧩 Core Pattern
Start with the dictionary form, remove 다, then choose 으면 or 면.
- 먹다 → 먹 + 으면 → 먹으면
- 읽다 → 읽 + 으면 → 읽으면
- 좋다 → 좋 + 으면 → 좋으면
- 작다 → 작 + 으면 → 작으면
- 많다 → 많 + 으면 → 많으면
- 가다 → 가 + 면 → 가면
- 오다 → 오 + 면 → 오면
- 마시다 → 마시 + 면 → 마시면
- 보다 → 보 + 면 → 보면
- 공부하다 → 공부하 + 면 → 공부하면
🛠️ How to Build Conditional Sentences
- Choose the condition word: 먹다, 가다, 좋다.
- Remove 다 to find the stem.
- Check the stem ending:
- consonant ending → add 으면
- vowel ending → add 면
- Add the result:
- 먹으면 좋아요. = If I eat, it is good.
- 가면 공부해요. = If I go, I study.
- 좋으면 마셔요. = If it is good, I drink it.
🔍 으면 vs 면
Use the final sound of the stem as your beginner-friendly guide.
Often use 으면 after consonant stems:
- 먹다 → 먹으면
- 읽다 → 읽으면
- 좋다 → 좋으면
- 작다 → 작으면
- 많다 → 많으면
Often use 면 after vowel stems:
- 가다 → 가면
- 오다 → 오면
- 마시다 → 마시면
- 보다 → 보면
- 공부하다 → 공부하면
🧭 Useful Extra: 만약 + (으)면
You will often see 만약 near (으)면. 만약 means something like “if” or “in case”, and it makes the conditional feeling clearer.
The sentence still needs (으)면 on the condition word. 만약 usually sits near the beginning like a little “conditional warning light.” 🚦
Examples:
- 만약 학교에 가면 공부해요. = If I go to school, I study.
- 만약 책이 좋으면 읽어요. = If the book is good, I read it.
- 만약 밥이 많으면 먹어요. = If there is a lot of food, I eat.
For beginner sentences, 만약 is optional. Use it when you want the “if” meaning to feel extra clear.
🚫 Beginner Usage Limit
For this beginner lesson, keep (으)면 for statements that show a condition and result.
Use it for:
- 학교에 가면 공부해요. = If I go to school, I study.
- 밥이 많으면 먹어요. = If there is a lot of food, I eat.
Avoid using it for commands or suggestions here:
- ❌ “If you go, study.”
- ❌ “If it is good, let’s buy it.”
⚠️ Pitfalls to Dodge
- ❌ 먹면 → ✅ 먹으면
- ❌ 읽면 → ✅ 읽으면
- ❌ 가으면 → ✅ 가면
- ❌ 좋아요면 → ✅ 좋으면
- ❌ Attaching 면 after 요 → ✅ attach it to the stem.
Try this exercise
Instructions
Fill each blank with 으면, 면, or the correct combined form. Check the condition first, then the result. 🎯
1. 밥을 먹＿＿＿＿ 좋아요.
[ba-beul meok＿＿＿＿ jo-a-yo] — If I eat rice, it is good.
Answer
먹으면
2. 학교에 가＿＿＿＿ 공부해요.
[hak-gyo-e ga＿＿＿＿ gong-bu-hae-yo] — If I go to school, I study.
Answer
가면
3. 책을 읽＿＿＿＿ 좋아요.
[chae-geul ik＿＿＿＿ jo-a-yo] — If I read a book, it is good.
Answer
읽으면
4. 커피를 마시＿＿＿＿ 일해요.
[keo-pi-reul ma-si＿＿＿＿ il-hae-yo] — If I drink coffee, I work.
Answer
마시면
5. 친구가 오＿＿＿＿ 밥을 먹어요.
[chin-gu-ga o＿＿＿＿ ba-beul meo-geo-yo] — If a friend comes, we eat.
Answer
오면
6. 책이 좋＿＿＿＿ 읽어요.
[chae-gi jot＿＿＿＿ il-geo-yo] — If the book is good, I read it.
Answer
좋으면
7. 먹다 + if/when → ＿＿＿＿
Answer
먹으면
8. 가다 + if/when → ＿＿＿＿
Answer
가면
9. ❌ 좋아요면 → ✅ ＿＿＿＿
Answer
좋으면
10. ❌ 먹면 → ✅ ＿＿＿＿
Answer
먹으면
Vocabulary Box
- (으)면 → if / when
- 먹다 → eat
- 가다 → go
- 읽다 → read
- 마시다 → drink
- 오다 → come
- 좋다 → be good
- 밥 → rice / meal
- 학교 → school
- 친구 → friend
Tip 💡 Drop 다, then choose 으면 or 면.
Want more practice? When you’re ready, continue to the Practice Hub below for more (으)면 exercises.
🎯 Practice Hub — Conditional If: (으)면
Fill each blank with the correct conditional form. Each exercise has 10 questions, A-J.
Exercise 1 — 으면 Forms
A. 먹＿＿＿＿ 좋아요. [meok＿＿＿＿ jo-a-yo] (If I eat, it is good.)
Answer
먹으면
B. 읽＿＿＿＿ 공부해요. [ik＿＿＿＿ gong-bu-hae-yo] (If I read, I study.)
Answer
읽으면
C. 좋＿＿＿＿ 마셔요. [jot＿＿＿＿ ma-syeo-yo] (If it is good, I drink.)
Answer
좋으면
D. 작＿＿＿＿ 좋아요. [jak＿＿＿＿ jo-a-yo] (If it is small, it is good.)
Answer
작으면
E. 많＿＿＿＿ 먹어요. [man＿＿＿＿ meo-geo-yo] (If there is a lot, I eat.)
Answer
많으면
F. 책을 읽＿＿＿＿ 쉬어요. [chae-geul ik＿＿＿＿ swi-eo-yo] (If I read a book, I rest.)
Answer
읽으면
G. 밥을 먹＿＿＿＿ 물을 마셔요. [ba-beul meok＿＿＿＿ mu-reul ma-syeo-yo] (If I eat rice, I drink water.)
Answer
먹으면
H. 집이 작＿＿＿＿ 좋아요. [ji-bi jak＿＿＿＿ jo-a-yo] (If the house is small, it is good.)
Answer
작으면
I. 책이 좋＿＿＿＿ 읽어요. [chae-gi jot＿＿＿＿ il-geo-yo] (If the book is good, I read it.)
Answer
좋으면
J. 밥이 많＿＿＿＿ 먹어요. [ba-bi man＿＿＿＿ meo-geo-yo] (If there is a lot of food, I eat.)
Answer
많으면
Exercise 2 — 면 Forms
A. 가＿＿＿＿ 공부해요. [ga＿＿＿＿ gong-bu-hae-yo] (If I go, I study.)
Answer
가면
B. 오＿＿＿＿ 밥을 먹어요. [o＿＿＿＿ ba-beul meo-geo-yo] (If someone comes, we eat.)
Answer
오면
C. 마시＿＿＿＿ 일해요. [ma-si＿＿＿＿ il-hae-yo] (If I drink, I work.)
Answer
마시면
D. 보＿＿＿＿ 쉬어요. [bo＿＿＿＿ swi-eo-yo] (If I watch, I rest.)
Answer
보면
E. 공부하＿＿＿＿ 좋아요. [gong-bu-ha＿＿＿＿ jo-a-yo] (If I study, it is good.)
Answer
공부하면
F. 학교에 가＿＿＿＿ 친구를 봐요. [hak-gyo-e ga＿＿＿＿ chin-gu-reul bwa-yo] (If I go to school, I see a friend.)
Answer
가면
G. 집에 오＿＿＿＿ 쉬어요. [ji-be o＿＿＿＿ swi-eo-yo] (If I come home, I rest.)
Answer
오면
H. 커피를 마시＿＿＿＿ 일해요. [keo-pi-reul ma-si＿＿＿＿ il-hae-yo] (If I drink coffee, I work.)
Answer
마시면
I. 영화를 보＿＿＿＿ 자요. [yeong-hwa-reul bo＿＿＿＿ ja-yo] (If I watch a movie, I sleep.)
Answer
보면
J. 공부하＿＿＿＿ 책을 읽어요. [gong-bu-ha＿＿＿＿ chae-geul il-geo-yo] (If I study, I read a book.)
Answer
공부하면
Exercise 3 — Full Sentences
A. 밥을 먹＿＿＿＿ 좋아요. [ba-beul meok＿＿＿＿ jo-a-yo] (If I eat rice, it is good.)
Answer
먹으면
B. 책을 읽＿＿＿＿ 공부해요. [chae-geul ik＿＿＿＿ gong-bu-hae-yo] (If I read a book, I study.)
Answer
읽으면
C. 학교에 가＿＿＿＿ 공부해요. [hak-gyo-e ga＿＿＿＿ gong-bu-hae-yo] (If I go to school, I study.)
Answer
가면
D. 친구가 오＿＿＿＿ 밥을 먹어요. [chin-gu-ga o＿＿＿＿ ba-beul meo-geo-yo] (If a friend comes, we eat.)
Answer
오면
E. 커피를 마시＿＿＿＿ 일해요. [keo-pi-reul ma-si＿＿＿＿ il-hae-yo] (If I drink coffee, I work.)
Answer
마시면
F. 영화를 보＿＿＿＿ 쉬어요. [yeong-hwa-reul bo＿＿＿＿ swi-eo-yo] (If I watch a movie, I rest.)
Answer
보면
G. 책이 좋＿＿＿＿ 읽어요. [chae-gi jot＿＿＿＿ il-geo-yo] (If the book is good, I read it.)
Answer
좋으면
H. 집이 작＿＿＿＿ 좋아요. [ji-bi jak＿＿＿＿ jo-a-yo] (If the house is small, it is good.)
Answer
작으면
I. 밥이 많＿＿＿＿ 먹어요. [ba-bi man＿＿＿＿ meo-geo-yo] (If there is a lot of food, I eat.)
Answer
많으면
J. 공부하＿＿＿＿ 책을 읽어요. [gong-bu-ha＿＿＿＿ chae-geul il-geo-yo] (If I study, I read a book.)
Answer
공부하면
Exercise 4 — Stem Builder
A. 먹다 + if/when → ＿＿＿＿
Answer
먹으면
B. 읽다 + if/when → ＿＿＿＿
Answer
읽으면
C. 좋다 + if/when → ＿＿＿＿
Answer
좋으면
D. 작다 + if/when → ＿＿＿＿
Answer
작으면
E. 많다 + if/when → ＿＿＿＿
Answer
많으면
F. 가다 + if/when → ＿＿＿＿
Answer
가면
G. 오다 + if/when → ＿＿＿＿
Answer
오면
H. 마시다 + if/when → ＿＿＿＿
Answer
마시면
I. 보다 + if/when → ＿＿＿＿
Answer
보면
J. 공부하다 + if/when → ＿＿＿＿
Answer
공부하면
Exercise 5 — Mixed Mastery
A. 만약 is often used with which grammar pattern? → ＿＿＿＿
Answer
(으)면 — 만약 helps make the “if” meaning clearer.
B. Consonant stem conditional piece → ＿＿＿＿
Answer
으면
C. Vowel stem conditional piece → ＿＿＿＿
Answer
면
D. ❌ 좋아요면 → ✅ ＿＿＿＿ (Fix the polite-ending mistake.)
Answer
좋으면
E. ❌ 먹면 → ✅ ＿＿＿＿ (Fix the consonant-stem mistake.)
Answer
먹으면
F. ❌ 가으면 → ✅ ＿＿＿＿ (Fix the vowel-stem mistake.)
Answer
가면
G. 좋＿＿＿＿ 마셔요. [jot＿＿＿＿ ma-syeo-yo] (If it is good, I drink.)
Answer
좋으면
H. 가＿＿＿＿ 공부해요. [ga＿＿＿＿ gong-bu-hae-yo] (If I go, I study.)
Answer
가면
I. 읽＿＿＿＿ 쉬어요. [ik＿＿＿＿ swi-eo-yo] (If I read, I rest.)
Answer
읽으면
J. Choose the sentence that means “If I eat, I rest”: ① 먹으면 쉬어요. / ② 먹지만 쉬어요. → ＿＿＿＿
[meo-geu-myeon swi-eo-yo / meok-ji-man swi-eo-yo] (If I eat, I rest. / I eat, but I rest.)
Answer
① 먹으면 쉬어요. — (으)면 shows condition → result. 지만 means “but,” so it does not match “if.”
Vocabulary Box
- (으)면 → if / when
- 만약 → if / in case
- 으면 → conditional piece after consonant stems
- 면 → conditional piece after vowel stems
- 먹다 → eat
- 읽다 → read
- 좋다 / 좋아요 → be good
- 작다 → be small
- 많다 → be many / much
- 가다 / 가요 → go
- 오다 / 와요 → come
- 마시다 → drink
- 보다 / 봐요 → see / watch
- 공부하다 → study
- 쉬다 → rest
- 지만 → but
Tip 💡 First half gives the condition; second half gives the result. Do not attach 면 after 요.
Great job! You finished the (으)면 conditional practice — now your Korean can build clear “if this, then that” sentences.
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