TOPIK II · LEVEL 3

-(느)ㄴ다면

-(느)ㄴ다면 means 'if (hypothetically)': a condition that is unlikely or imagined.

조건·가정Conditions & what-ifs

Han: 날다 is a ㄹ-stem: -(으)ㄹ 거예요 gives 날 거예요, not 날을 거예요.

Examples

그 사실을 미리 알았다면 거기에 안 갔을 거예요.If I had known that beforehand, I wouldn't have gone there.
다시 학생이라면 더 열심히 공부할 거예요.If I were a student again, I'd study harder.
복권에 당첨된다면 세계 여행을 하고 싶어요.If I won the lottery, I'd like to travel the world.

Don’t mix up

-(느)ㄴ다면vs-(으)면-(으)면 is a real, likely condition; -(느)ㄴ다면 is hypothetical or unlikely: 시간이 있으면 갈게요 vs 시간이 있다면 갈 텐데.

How to build it

V(vowel)+ㄴ다면
V(consonant)+는다면
A+다면
N+(이)라면

가다 → 간다면, 먹다 → 먹는다면, 크다 → 크다면, 학생 → 학생이라면

  1. Past hypothetical: -았/었다면 'if I had …': 알았다면 'if I had known'.
  2. Often followed by -(으)ㄹ 거예요 / -겠어요 / -(으)ㄹ 텐데.

Classic mistake

Wrong: 내가 새라면 하늘을 날을 거예요.

Right: 내가 새라면 하늘을 날 거예요.

날다 is a ㄹ-stem: -(으)ㄹ 거예요 gives 날 거예요, not 날을 거예요.

Practise -(느)ㄴ다면 on real TOPIK questions

Hannim plans each day up to your exam date: questions on this pattern, reviews, full mock papers and graded writing. 7 days free, no card.

Start 7-day free trial

More level 3 grammar

All TOPIK grammar