컴퓨터를 많이 하면 눈이 아파요.
If you spend too much time on the computer, you’ll hurt your eyes.
나는 기분이 좋으면 춤을 춰요.
I dance when I’m in a good mood.
돈을 많이 벌면 집을 살 거예요.
If I make a lot of money, I’m going to buy a house.
Grammar Focus:
-(으)면 is used when stating a condition about some fact, daily occurrence, or some repetitive action mentioned later in the sentence, or when supposing an uncertain situation or a situation that has not yet been realized. It means ‘if’, ‘when’, or ‘once’ in English. When expressing a supposition, adverbs such as 혹시 and 만일 can also be used. When the verb stem ends in a vowel or ㄹ, -면 is used, and when it ends in a consonant, 으면 is used.
Information about something that happened in the past cannot come before -(으)면 in a sentence. Furthermore, when an action only occurs once, -(으)ㄹ 때 is used.
• 어제 영회를 보면 울었어요. (X)
->어제 영화를 볼 때 울었어요. (〇)
Yesterday, when I watched a movie, I cried.
• 동생이 집에 없으면 친구가 왔어요. (X)
->동생이 집에 없을 때 친구가 왔어요. (〇)
Yesterday, when my younger brother/sister was not home, my friend came.
Conversation:
A: 주말에 보통 뭐 해요?
What do you normally do on the weekend?
B: 날씨가 좋으면 등산을 해요. 그렇지만 비나 눈이 오면 집에서 텔레비전을 봐요.
If the weather’s nice, I go hiking. But if it rains or snows, then I watch TV at home.
A: 다음 주에 고향에 돌아가요. I’m going back to my hometown next week.
B: 그래요? 섭섭해요. 고향에 돌아가면 연락하세요.
Really? That’s too bad. Please stay in touch when you’re back home.
A: 결혼하면 어디에서 살 거예요?
Where will you live once you get married?
B: 회사 근처 아파트에서 살려고 해요.
We plan to live in an apartment near the company.
Notes:
When the subjects of the first and second clauses are different, the particle following the subject of the first clause changes from 은/는 to 이/가.
• 동생은 이야기하면 친구들이 웃어요. (X)
->동생이 이야기하면 친구들이 웃어요. (〇)
When my brother tells a story, his friends laugh.
• 티루엔 씨는 회사에 안 오면 사무실이 조용해요. (X)
->티루엔 씨가 회시에 안 오면 사무실이 조용해요. (〇)
When Tiruen does not go to work, the office is quiet.