-(ㄴ/는)다면 Grammar in Korean: Meaning and How to Use It

What you'll learn

• Attach -(ㄴ/는)다면 to verbs, adjectives, 있다/없다 and nouns.
• Understand why the form changes: it is the plain style plus 면.
• Use it for wishes, daydreams and "suppose that" questions.
• Choose between -(ㄴ/는)다면, -(으)면 and -(이)라면.

Prerequisites: -(으)면 and the future ending -(으)ㄹ 거예요. Time: about 15 minutes.

Key facts

• -(ㄴ/는)다면 treats a condition as a supposition. The speaker does not say that it is true.
• Verbs take ㄴ다면 after a vowel and 는다면 after a consonant. Adjectives take 다면.
• 있다 and 없다 take 다면: 있다면, 없다면.
• Nouns take (이)라면: 새라면, 학생이라면.
• It often goes with the word 만약, "supposing", and with wishes.

Listen to two model sentences.

The next section defines the pattern.

What Does -(ㄴ/는)다면 Grammar Mean?

-(ㄴ/는)다면 means "if" in the sense of "suppose that". A connective ending is a word ending that joins one clause to the next. -(ㄴ/는)다면 is a connective ending that tells the listener, "Let us take this case as an assumption and see what follows."

The ending has a built-in distance. The plain -(으)면 says "if X happens, then Y". The ending -(ㄴ/는)다면 says "supposing that X were true, then Y". The speaker keeps the condition at arm's length. This is why it is the natural choice for daydreams, wishes, unlikely cases and questions that start with "What would you do if...?"

Here are two glossed examples.

The first example is a pure daydream, because nobody is a bird. The second example is a real possibility, but the speaker is polite and tentative. The ending suits both.

Where the Ending Comes From

The ending is a short form of -ㄴ/는다고 하면, which means "if one says that...". Over time, the quoting part became a fixed piece. In today's Korean, the ending is the plain-style sentence ending plus 면. The plain style is the form used in diaries, books and news. It ends verbs in -ㄴ/는다 and adjectives in -다. For example, 간다 is "(someone) goes", 먹는다 is "(someone) eats" and 크다 is "(it) is big". That is why the endings look different for verbs and adjectives. Once you know the plain style, the forms are easy to predict.

The next section shows how to build the form.

How Do You Form -(ㄴ/는)다면?

Remove 다 from the dictionary form to get the stem. The stem is the verb or adjective without its dictionary ending -다. For 먹다 the stem is 먹. Then follow the table.

Here are more examples with the spoken forms.

Two sound changes appear in this table. First, 는 is said as a nasal after a stop, so 먹는다면 sounds like [멍는다면], and RR writes this as meongneundamyeon. Second, the ㅎ of 좋 and 많 joins the following ㄷ and makes ㅌ, so 좋다면 sounds like [조타면]. RR writes this aspiration in predicates, so it is jotamyeon. The tensing in [읻따면] is spoken only; RR does not mark tensing that comes from a neighbouring sound, so it writes itdamyeon.

Verbs

Verbs show the "doing" with ㄴ or 는. A vowel stem takes ㄴ다면: 간다면, 온다면, 한다면. A consonant stem takes 는다면: 먹는다면, 읽는다면. A ㄹ stem loses its ㄹ before ㄴ: 산다면, 만든다면, 안다면.

Adjectives and 있다/없다

Adjectives keep their plain form: 크다면, 좋다면, 비싸다면. The words 있다 and 없다 behave like adjectives here: 있다면, 없다면. Do not say 있는다면 for "if there is" or "if you have". Only 있다 in the sense "stay" takes 는: 집에 있는다면, "if you stay home".

Nouns and past Forms

Nouns take (이)라면: 새라면, 학생이라면. See the lesson on -(이)라면 for the details. The past form is made with 았/었 before 다면: 갔다면 [갇따면], 먹었다면 [머걷따면], 예뻤다면.

The next section builds a full sentence.

Worked Example: Building 복권에 당첨된다면 뭘 하고 싶어요

Say "If you won the lottery, what would you want to do?" Follow five steps.

1. Write the imagined case. "You win the lottery" is 복권에 당첨돼요 in the polite style. The verb is 당첨되다.
2. Find the stem. The dictionary form is 당첨되다, so the stem is 당첨되. It ends in a vowel.
3. Add ㄴ다면. A vowel stem takes ㄴ다면, so 되 becomes 된: 당첨된다면. Take away the polite ending, because the ending belongs to the last verb only.
4. Write the question. "What do you want to do?" is 뭘 하고 싶어요. The question word 뭘 is short for 무엇을.
5. Join the two parts. 복권에 당첨된다면 뭘 하고 싶어요?

You'll know it worked when the first verb ends in 다면 with nothing after it, and the polite ending 요 appears only once, at the end. Try the same steps with "If I lived in Korea, I would study Korean": 살다 gives 산다면, and 한국어를 공부할 거예요 follows.

The next section covers tense and sentence types.

Which Tenses and Sentence Types Work with -(ㄴ/는)다면?

Tense in Korean is shown on the verb before the ending. For -(ㄴ/는)다면, the present form already holds the plain-style marker. A past marker goes before 다면. Then the last verb of the sentence carries the speech level.

Like -(으)면, -(ㄴ/는)다면 allows every sentence type after it. You can follow it with a statement, a question, a command or a suggestion.

The past form -았/었다면 imagines a different past: 어제 일찍 잤다면 지금 안 피곤할 거예요 means "If I had slept early yesterday, I would not be tired now." The result is often -(으)ㄹ 거예요, or -(으)ㄹ 텐데 in a longer sentence (see -(으)ㄹ 텐데).

Yes/no questions end with a rise: 시간이 있다면 갈래요? A wh-question puts the stress on the question word and often ends with a fall or a rise-fall, rather than a sharp rise: 한국에서 산다면 어디에서 살고 싶어요? means "If you lived in Korea, where would you want to live?"

The next section compares -(ㄴ/는)다면 with its neighbours.

How Is -(ㄴ/는)다면 Different from -(으)면 and -(이)라면?

All three can be translated as "if", and that is why learners mix them up. The difference is the speaker's distance from the condition.

In many sentences both -(으)면 and -(ㄴ/는)다면 are possible, and the difference is only in feeling. Compare these two.

• 내일 비가 오면 집에 있을 거예요. ("If it rains tomorrow, I'll stay home.") A plain plan. -(으)면 is the natural choice.
• 내가 새라면 하늘을 날 거예요. ("If I were a bird, I would fly in the sky.") The case is impossible. Here -(ㄴ/는)다면 or -(이)라면 is needed, and -(으)면 would sound odd.

A second use is "if what you say is true". A: 내일 비가 와요. B: 정말 비가 온다면 소풍을 취소해야 해요. This means "If it really rains (as you say), we have to cancel the picnic." The speaker takes a statement from someone else and builds on it.

The next section covers set phrases and edge cases.

Variations and Edge Cases of -(ㄴ/는)다면

Adding 만약

The word 만약 means "if" or "supposing". It often stands at the start of a sentence that uses -(ㄴ/는)다면. 만약 시간이 있다면 연락해 주세요 means "If by any chance you have time, please contact me." The word 혹시 is similar but more casual.

The Wish Frame

Add 좋겠다 after -(ㄴ/는)다면 and the meaning becomes "it would be nice if". 다시 만날 수 있다면 좋겠어요 means "It would be nice if we could meet again." The speaker is expressing a wish that may not come true. For an everyday hope, -았/었으면 좋겠어요 is more common: 내일 비가 안 왔으면 좋겠어요, "I hope it doesn't rain tomorrow."

"If That Is so": 그렇다면

The word 그렇다면 means "if that is so" or "in that case". It is the same ending on the adjective 그렇다. A: 저는 매운 음식을 못 먹어요. B: 그렇다면 다른 걸 시킬까요? means "A: I can't eat spicy food. B: In that case, shall we order something else?" RR writes 그렇다면 as geureotamyeon.

Emphasis with -다면야

Adding 야 makes the supposition stronger and the result more definite: 네가 좋다면야 나는 괜찮아 means "If you like it, then of course it's fine." This form is natural in speech.

Negative Cases

For a negative supposition, use 안 or -지 않다: 안 온다면 or 오지 않는다면 means "if (he) doesn't come". For a noun, use 아니라면: 그 사람이 범인이 아니라면 누구예요? means "If he is not the criminal, who is?"

Contracted from the Quoting Form

The full form -ㄴ/는다고 하면 is also used when you really mean "if someone says that...". 그 사람이 온다고 하면 알려 주세요 means "If he says he's coming, let me know." The short form -(ㄴ/는)다면 is used for the supposition.

The next section lists the mistakes that appear most often.

What Mistakes Do Learners Make with -(ㄴ/는)다면?

Learners make six predictable mistakes. Each has a reason and a fix.

Learners often drop the ㄴ or 는 on verbs. Actually the verb needs it. Wrong: 먹다면 and 가다면. Right: 먹는다면 and 간다면. Fix: add ㄴ after a vowel stem and 는 after a consonant stem.

Learners often add ㄴ or 는 to adjectives. Actually adjectives take 다면 directly. Wrong: 크ㄴ다면 and 좋는다면. Right: 크다면 and 좋다면. Fix: ask whether the word is a verb or an adjective.

Learners often forget the ㄹ drop. Actually ㄹ stems lose their ㄹ before ㄴ. Wrong: 살는다면 and 살다면 (for "if I live"). Right: 산다면. Fix: 살다 → 산다면, 만들다 → 만든다면, 알다 → 안다면.

Learners often treat 있다 as a verb. Actually 있다 ("there is, have") and 없다 take 다면. Wrong: 시간이 있는다면 and 돈이 없는다면. Right: 있다면 and 없다면. Fix: learn the two words as a pair.

Learners often use -다면 for a plain routine. Actually everyday routines need -(으)면. Less natural: 아침이 된다면 일어나요. Right: 아침이 되면 일어나요. Fix: use -(으)면 unless you are really supposing something.

Learners often put 다면 after a noun directly. Actually a noun needs 이다. Wrong: 학생이다면. Right: 학생이라면. Fix: use (이)라면 for nouns.

The next section gives you practice.

Practice and Answers

Do the four tasks, then compare with the key.

Task 1: join the sentences with -(ㄴ/는)다면. Write one sentence for each pair.

1. 돈이 많아요. / 집을 사고 싶어요.
2. 한국에서 살아요. / 한국어를 잘할 거예요.
3. 시간이 없어요. / 다음에 만나요.
4. 내일 비가 와요. / 소풍은 취소예요.

Task 2: fix the error. Each sentence has one mistake. Rewrite it correctly.

1. 한국에 가다면 부산에 가고 싶어요.
2. 날씨가 좋는다면 산책할 거예요.
3. 학생이다면 할인을 받을 수 있어요.

Task 3: translate. Write in Korean: "If I could fly, I would go to Jeju." and "If you like it, I like it too."

Task 4: write your own. Write one daydream with 만약 and -(ㄴ/는)다면, and one wish with 좋겠어요.

Answer key

1. (1) 돈이 많다면 집을 사고 싶어요. (2) 한국에서 산다면 한국어를 잘할 거예요. (3) 시간이 없다면 다음에 만나요. (4) 내일 비가 온다면 소풍은 취소예요.
2. (1) 한국에 간다면 부산에 가고 싶어요. (2) 날씨가 좋다면 산책할 거예요. (3) 학생이라면 할인을 받을 수 있어요.
3. 내가 날 수 있다면 제주도에 갈 거예요. 네가 좋다면 나도 좋아. Other correct versions exist, for example 내가 날 수 있다면 제주도에 가고 싶어요.
4. Sample answers: 만약 내가 부자라면 세계 여행을 할 거예요. 다시 한국에 갈 수 있다면 좋겠어요. Any pair is correct if each first clause ends in the right form of -(ㄴ/는)다면.

If task 1 was correct, you have the formation rule. If task 2 was hard, check whether you dropped the ㄴ or 는, added it to an adjective, or used 이다 with a noun. The next section points you to what comes after this lesson.

What Should You Learn after -(ㄴ/는)다면 Grammar?

After -(ㄴ/는)다면, learn -(이)라면, the noun form for "if it is X". Then read -(으)려면 for "if you want to". If you need to review the plain "if", go back to -(으)면. Future forms are also useful here: see future tense -(으)ㄹ 거예요 and future guess -겠-.

For a wider view, the parent page Conditions (If) lists every condition connector. To plan by level, use Intermediate Grammar.

This lesson covers -(ㄴ/는)다면 in the polite, casual and formal styles. It does not cover every written variation. About this page. Last updated 2026-10-09. Revised Romanization follows the national rules and is shown only as a learning aid.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Does -(ㄴ/는)다면 Mean?

-(ㄴ/는)다면 means "if" in the sense of "suppose that". It treats the condition as an assumption or an imagined case, often an unlikely one or a wish. 내가 새라면 하늘을 날 거예요 means "If I were a bird, I would fly in the sky." It is more hypothetical than -(으)면.

How Do I Attach -(ㄴ/는)다면 to a Verb or Adjective?

For a verb, add ㄴ다면 to a vowel stem (가다 becomes 간다면) and 는다면 to a consonant stem (먹다 becomes 먹는다면). For an adjective, add 다면 (크다 becomes 크다면). 있다 and 없다 take 다면: 있다면, 없다면. For a noun, use (이)라면: 학생이라면.

Can -(ㄴ/는)다면 Be Used in the past Tense?

Yes, with 았/었 before it: 갔다면, 먹었다면, 예뻤다면. The past form imagines a different past: 어제 일찍 잤다면 지금 안 피곤할 거예요 means "If I had slept early yesterday, I would not be tired now." It can also mean "if, as you say, it happened".

Is -(ㄴ/는)다면 Used in Speech or Only in Writing?

Both. It is common in conversation, in advice and in writing, and it works in polite, casual and formal styles. It sounds a little more reflective than -(으)면, so speakers use it for wishes, daydreams and serious what-if questions. For a plain everyday condition, -(으)면 is shorter and more natural.

What Is the Difference between -(ㄴ/는)다면 and -(으)면?

-(으)면 states a condition that may or may not happen, and the result clause can be any sentence type. -(ㄴ/는)다면 treats the condition as a supposition, often unlikely or imagined. Both are often possible in the same sentence, but -다면 adds the feeling of "suppose that" or "if it is true that".

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