-았/었더라면

-았/었더라면 means 'if (something) had happened', imagining a past that did not happen, usually with regret or relief.

조건·가정Conditions & what-ifs

Han: The result of an unreal past condition did not actually happen, so it needs a guessing ending like -았/었을 거예요, not a plain past fact.

Examples

그때 네 말을 들었더라면 이런 일은 없었을 텐데.If I had listened to you back then, this wouldn't have happened.

학생 때 공부를 더 열심히 했더라면 좋았을 텐데요.I wish I had studied harder when I was a student.

조금만 더 일찍 출발했더라면 기차를 놓치지 않았을 거예요.If we had left a little earlier, we wouldn't have missed the train.

안전벨트를 매지 않았더라면 크게 다쳤을 거예요.If I hadn't worn my seat belt, I would have been badly hurt.

-았/었더라면vs-았/었으면-았/었으면 can also express a present wish with 좋겠다; -았/었더라면 cannot. 돈이 많았으면 좋겠어요 (not 많았더라면 좋겠어요).

-았/었더라면vs-았/었다면-았/었다면 can also suppose something whose truth is unknown; -았/었더라면 implies it really did not happen. 네가 그 돈을 가져갔다면 솔직히 말해.

V/A+았/었더라면

N+이었더라면/였더라면

알다 → 알았더라면, 공부하다 → 공부했더라면, 학생 → 학생이었더라면

It is used for past situations that are contrary to fact. For real or possible future conditions, use -(으)면 instead.
The result clause is usually a guess about an unreal result: -았/었을 거예요, -았/었을 텐데, -(으)ㄹ 뻔했어요. A plain past fact like 않았어요 sounds wrong.
The second clause cannot be a command or suggestion (-(으)세요, -(으)ㅂ시다).
With 좋았을 텐데 it expresses regret; the result can also be left unsaid: 그때 말했더라면….

Wrong: ~~조금만 일찍 일어났더라면 지각하지 않았어요.~~

Right: 조금만 일찍 일어났더라면 지각하지 않았을 거예요.

The result of an unreal past condition did not actually happen, so it needs a guessing ending like -았/었을 거예요, not a plain past fact.

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