haru Korean › Grammar › Level 2A › V-(으)려면
V-(으)려면 — if you want to … — asking how, and giving advice
If you want to … — asking how, and giving advice. Korean grammar for upper beginner learners — Level 2A, lesson 7: 길을 잃으면 어떻게 해요? (What if I get lost? — asking the way).
What it means
-(으)려면 means 'if you want to …': 남산에 가려면 'if you want to go to Namsan'. It sets up a goal, and the second part says what it takes — so it is usually followed by -아야/어야 돼요 'you have to', -(으)면 돼요 'you just …' from Lesson 6, or a request with -(으)세요: 남산에 가려면 이 버스를 타세요, 길을 건너려면 지하도로 가면 돼요. It is the natural way to ask for directions or advice: 표를 사려면 어디로 가야 돼요? After a 받침 add -으려면 (찾으려면, 찍으려면); after a vowel or ㄹ add -려면 (가려면, 만들려면); ㄷ verbs change as usual (걷다 → 걸으려면). You can hear -(으)려고 from Lesson 1 inside it, but the meaning is different: -(으)려고 says why you are doing something (가려고 버스를 탔어요 'I took the bus to go there'), while -(으)려면 asks or tells what it takes (가려면 버스를 타세요 'to go there, take the bus'). Use it with verbs only; the tense goes at the end of the sentence.
Forms
| Pattern | When | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -으려면 | 받침 O (ㄷ → ㄹ: 걸으려면) | 찾다 + 으려면 → 찾으려면 |
| -려면 | 받침 X · ㄹ 받침 | 가다 + 려면 → 가려면 |
Key points
- V-(으)려면 = if you want to …: 남산에 가려면 … · 표를 사려면 … — the second part says what to do: -아야/어야 돼요 · -(으)면 돼요 · -(으)세요
- 받침 O → -으려면 (찾으려면 · 찍으려면) · 받침 X · ㄹ → -려면 (가려면 · 만들려면) · 걷다 → 걸으려면
Examples
- 남산에 가고 싶어요. 어떻게 가요? → 남산에 가려면 이 버스를 타세요.
- 받침 O → -으려면: 찾으려면 · 찍으려면 · 받으려면
- 받침 X · ㄹ → -려면: 가려면 · 타려면 · 만들려면
- 걷다 → 걸으려면 (ㄷ → ㄹ)
- …(으)려면 + -아야/어야 돼요 · -(으)면 돼요 · -(으)세요
Where university textbooks teach it
This point also appears in: Seoul National University Korean 2A, lesson 7; Yonsei University Korean 2-2, lesson 11; Sogang University Korean 3A, lesson 2; Hongik University Korean 2A, lesson 4; Hanyang University Korean 3-1, lesson 1; Ewha Womans University Korean 2-1, lesson 6.
Also in this lesson
- V-다가 — doing one thing, then something else — 'go along and then …' · 'in the middle of …'
- A/V-(으)ㄴ/는지 알다 · 모르다 — do you know where …? — a question inside a sentence
- A/V-(으)ㄹ 것 같다 — I think it will … — guessing what is going to happen