농구를 잘하려면 점프를 잘해야 돼요.
If you want to play basketball well, you have to be able to jump high.
동대문에 가려면 지하철 4호선을 타세요.
If you’re trying to get to Dongdaemun, then please take subway line 4.
이 선생님을 만나려면 월요일에 학교로 가세요.
If you want to meet with teacher Lee, then come to school on Monday.
Grammar Focus:
-(으)려면 is the shortened form of -(으)려고 하면. It is used with verbs to express a plan or intention to do something in the first clause, with the condition required to fulfill that plan or intention given in the second clause. For this reason, it is common for the following grammatical forms to be used in the second clause: -아/어야 해요/돼요, -(으)면 돼요, -(으)세요, 이/가 필요해요, and -는 게 좋아요. This expression means ‘if you want to’ or ‘if your intention is to’ in English.
When the verb stem ends in a vowel or ㄹ, -려면 is used, and when it ends in a consonant, -으려면 is used.
Conversation:
A: 한국말을 잘하고 싶어요. I want to be able to speak Korean well.
B: 한국말을 잘하려면 매일 한국말로만 이야기하세요.
If you want to speak Korean well, then only speak Korean every day.
A: 펜을 자주 잃어버려요. I often lose my pen.
B: 잃어버리지 않으려면 펜에 이름을 쓰세요.
If you don’t want to lose your pen, then write your name on it.
A: 사장님, 이 회사에서 일하고 싶습니다.
Mr. President, I want to work at your company.
B: 우리 회사에서 일하려면 한국말도 잘하고 컴퓨터도 잘해야 합니다.
If you intend to work at our company, you have to be able to speak Korean and use computers well.