-는다면/ㄴ다면/다면
If You Say That
-는다면/ㄴ다면/다면 expresses a hypothetical or unlikely condition, similar to 'if' in English. It emphasizes that the situation is not real or is very improbable.
How It Works
This pattern is used to create a conditional clause for situations that are hypothetical, counter-factual, or very unlikely. It's a more emphatic and speculative version of the standard conditional -면.
Conjugation Rules:
- Action Verbs:
- For stems ending in a consonant, attach -는다면. (e.g., 먹다 → 먹는다면)
- For stems ending in a vowel, attach -ㄴ다면. (e.g., 가다 → 간다면)
- For stems ending in ㄹ, drop the ㄹ and add -ㄴ다면. (e.g., 만들다 → 만든다면) - Descriptive Verbs (Adjectives): Attach -다면 to the stem.
- 예쁘다 → 예쁘다면 (If she were pretty)
- 많다 → 많다면 (If there were a lot) - Nouns: Attach -라면 to nouns ending in a vowel and -이라면 to nouns ending in a consonant.
- 의사 → 의사라면 (If I were a doctor)
- 학생 → 학생이라면 (If I were a student) - Past Tense: Attach -았/었다면 to the stem for all verb/adjective/noun types.
- 하다 → 했다면 (If I had done)
- 보다 → 봤다면 (If I had seen)
- 학생이다 → 학생이었다면 (If I had been a student)
-는다면 vs. -면
While both mean 'if', they have different nuances.
-면: Used for general conditions, likely possibilities, or repeated events.
- e.g., 봄이 오면 꽃이 펴요. (When spring comes, flowers bloom.) - A general truth.
-는다면: Used for unlikely, hypothetical, or counter-factual 'what if' scenarios.
- e.g., 내가 새라면 날아갈 텐데. (If I were a bird, I would fly away.) - A hypothetical impossibility.
In casual conversation, -면 is often used even for hypothetical situations. However, using -는다면 adds a clear emphasis on the speculative nature of the statement. The clause following -는다면 often uses future or speculative endings like -ㄹ 것이다, -겠-, or -ㄹ 텐데.
Examples (5)
- 만약 다시 태어난다면, 새로 살고 싶어요.
If I were to be born again, I would want to live a new life.
Word by Word: If again am born, newly want to live.
- 복권에 당첨된다면 세계 일주를 할 거예요.
If I won the lottery, I would travel around the world.
Word by Word: In the lottery if I win, world trip will do.
Winning the lottery is considered a very unlikely, hypothetical event, making -는다면 a perfect fit.
- 네가 내 입장이라면 어떻게 하겠어?
If you were in my position, what would you do?
Word by Word: You my position if you were, how would you do?
- 어제 시험공부를 더 열심히 했다면, 시험을 잘 봤을 텐데.
If I had studied harder for the exam yesterday, I would have done well on it.
Word by Word: Yesterday exam study more hard if I had done, exam well would have seen.
This is a counter-factual statement about the past, expressing regret. The past tense form -했다면 is used.
- 돈이 아주 많다면 뭘 가장 하고 싶어요?
If you had a lot of money, what would you want to do most?
Word by Word: Money very much if you had, what most want to do?
Common Mistakes
Using -는다면 for general truths or likely conditions.
Different Meaning봄이 온다면 꽃이 펴요.Better봄이 오면 꽃이 펴요.'-는다면' is for hypothetical or unlikely situations, not for general truths or highly probable events like spring arriving. For these cases, the standard conditional -면 is the correct and natural choice.
Confusing verb and adjective conjugations.
Not Quite날씨가 좋은다면 공원에 가자.Better날씨가 좋다면 공원에 가자.좋다 is a descriptive verb (adjective), so it conjugates with -다면, not -는다면. Remember: action verbs use -는다면 or -ㄴ다면, and descriptive verbs use -다면.
Learn This First
To use conditional reported speech, you need reported speech and conditional knowledge.
Related Patterns
- -더라도Even if, Although
'-더라도' means 'even if'. While both set up a condition, '-는다면' implies the result depends on the condition, whereas '-더라도' implies the result happens regardless of the condition.
- -더라면If It Had Been
'-더라면' is used specifically for counter-factual situations in the past, often expressing regret. It's a more specific form of the past hypothetical '-았/었다면'.
- -았/었으면 좋겠다I Wish, I Hope
This pattern for expressing wishes ('I wish...') is often used for hypothetical situations, which is the same context where '-는다면' is used. For example, '내가 새였으면 좋겠다' (I wish I were a bird).