-다면 in Korean: “if (hypothetical)”
-다면
-damyeon
if (hypothetical)
Intermediate · Linking ideas
-다면 (-damyeon) means "if" for situations that are imagined or less likely, like "if I won the lottery" or "if I were you". It is more hypothetical than the everyday -(으)면.
How to form it
| When | Add | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb stem ending in a vowel | + ㄴ다면 | 가다 → 간다면 |
| Verb stem ending in a consonant | + 는다면 | 먹다 → 먹는다면 |
| Adjective stem (and 있다/없다) | + 다면 | 좋다 → 좋다면, 있다 → 있다면 |
| Past tense | + 았/었다면 | 알다 → 알았다면 |
| Noun | + (이)라면 | 나 → 나라면, 학생 → 학생이라면 |
How to use it
-다면 sets up an imagined or unlikely condition: 시간이 있다면 여행하고 싶어요 (If I had time, I'd like to travel). Compared with -(으)면, it sounds more "what if."
With the past tense, -았/었다면 talks about how things might have gone differently: 그때 알았다면 말했을 거예요 (If I had known then, I would have told you).
(이)라면 after a noun is very common: 내가 너라면 (if I were you). The final ending decides whether the sentence is casual or polite.
Examples
Tap a word to see what it means and save it to your flashcards.
Giving advice to a friend
Daydreaming
Looking back
A fun question
Don’t mix it up with
-(으)면: -(으)면 is the general "if/when" for real and likely situations (비가 오면 집에 있을게요). -다면 leans toward imagined or unlikely ones.
-았/었더라면: -았/었더라면 is only about the past and carries stronger regret (if only I had). -았/었다면 is similar but a bit more neutral.
Common mistakes
Using the adjective form with verbs. Say 간다면 or 먹는다면, not 가다면 or 먹다면.
Want the basics first? Read Saying "if" in Korean (-(으)면).
Questions learners ask
What is the difference between 다면 and 면 in Korean?
Both mean "if." -(으)면 is everyday and works for likely situations. -다면 makes the condition sound more hypothetical, like English "if I were" or "suppose."
Does 라면 always mean ramen?
No. After a noun, (이)라면 means "if it is" or "if (I) were," as in 나라면 (if it were me). The noodle 라면 is a different word that just sounds the same.