TOPIK II · LEVEL 6

-(으)련만

-(으)련만 says 'it would be so (if only…), but it isn't': a hoped-for or expected result set against a disappointing reality, often with regret.

대조·양보Contrast & concession

Han: Studying hard actually happened, so it is a fact, not a supposition; for a real fact with a disappointing result use -건만, not -(으)련만.

Examples

비가 좀 오면 좋으련만 벌써 한 달째 비 소식이 없다.It would be nice if it rained a little, but there has been no rain for a month already.
네가 조금만 더 일찍 말했더라면 도와주었으련만.If you had told me a little earlier, I would have helped you (but you didn't).
아이가 부모 마음을 조금이라도 알아주면 좋으련만.If only the child understood his parents' feelings even a little…
시간만 있으면 고향에 자주 가련만 일이 너무 많아서 그러지 못한다.If only I had time, I would go home often, but I have too much work to do so.

Don’t mix up

-(으)련만vs-(으)ㄹ 텐데Same idea of supposition + contrast, but -(으)ㄹ 텐데 is the normal spoken form, while -(으)련만 sounds literary: 시간이 있으면 갈 텐데 바빠요.-(으)련만vs-건만-건만 attaches to a real fact that failed to bring the expected result; -(으)련만 attaches to a supposition: 열심히 공부했건만 떨어졌다.

How to build it

V/A+(으)련만 (final consonant → 으련만; vowel or ㄹ → 련만)
past/counterfactual: V/A+았/었으련만

가다 → 가련만, 좋다 → 좋으련만, 알다 → 알련만, 돕다 → 도우련만 / 도왔으련만

  1. It is a literary, rather formal ending; in everyday conversation Koreans usually say -(으)ㄹ 텐데 instead.
  2. The first part is a supposition, not a real fact; it often comes with a condition (-(으)면, -았/었더라면, -만 있으면).
  3. The following clause usually states the actual (contrary) situation; it is not used for commands or suggestions.
  4. It can end a sentence (…좋으련만.), leaving the 'but' unsaid and expressing a sigh of regret; for past counterfactuals use -았/었으련만.

Classic mistake

Wrong: 열심히 공부하련만 시험에 떨어졌어요.

Right: 열심히 공부했건만 시험에 떨어졌어요.

Studying hard actually happened, so it is a fact, not a supposition; for a real fact with a disappointing result use -건만, not -(으)련만.

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