TOPIK I · LEVEL 2
-(으)면 되다
-(으)면 되다 means 'you just have to / it's enough to do A' — A is all that's needed.
조건·가정Conditions & what-ifsHan: 되다 + 요 is 돼요; don't add another 요.
Examples
이 버튼을 누르면 돼요.You just press this button.
서류는 내일까지 내면 돼요.You only need to hand in the documents by tomorrow.
시청역에서 2호선으로 갈아타면 돼요.You just transfer to Line 2 at City Hall Station.
Don’t mix up
-(으)면 되다vs-아/어야 하다-아/어야 하다 stresses obligation ('must'); -(으)면 되다 says that's all it takes ('just').
How to build it
V(vowel or ㄹ)+면 되다
V(consonant)+으면 되다
가다 → 가면 돼요, 찍다 → 찍으면 돼요
- Often used to give instructions or answer 'what should I do?'.
- Negative: -지 않으면 안 되다 'must' is different; -(으)면 안 되다 means 'must not'.
Classic mistake
Wrong: 여기에 이름을 쓰면 돼요요.
Right: 여기에 이름을 쓰면 돼요.
되다 + 요 is 돼요; don't add another 요.
Practise -(으)면 되다 on real TOPIK questions
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All TOPIK grammar- -(으)면-(으)면 attaches to a verb or adjective to set a condition: "if X happens or is true, then Y," and it can also mean "whenever X" for things that regularly happen.
- -(으)려면-(으)려면 means 'if you want/intend to do A', followed by what is needed to do it.
- -(으)ㄴ 지Shows how much time has passed since an action happened.
- -(으)ㄹ 것Ends a written instruction or rule with a noun-like command: 'do X; X is to be done'. Impersonal and firm; used in notices, exam instructions, memos and rule lists.
- -(으)ㄹ 때Attaches to a verb or adjective to say at what time or in what situation something happens: 'when …'.
- -(으)면 안 되다States that an action is not allowed or not acceptable: 'you must not… / it's not okay to…'.
- -(으)ㄹ 수 있다/없다Attach it to a verb to say that someone can or cannot do something, either because of their ability or because the situation allows or prevents it.
- -(으)ㄹ 줄 알다/모르다Use it to say whether someone knows how to do something, meaning a skill or method they have learned.
- -(으)ㄴ 후에Shows that the second action happens after the first action is finished.