Grammar
-았다면/-었다면/-했다면
to state a condition about a past event
Form
Verb or adjective stem + -았/었다면; 하다 → 했다면 — “if … did / had done…”.
Function
Sets a condition concerning a past event or state. It can be hypothetical, counterfactual, or simply left open.
Why this form?
-(으)면 — “if / when”: a general or future condition without grammatical past anchoring.
-았/었더라면 — “if … had…”: often imagines a past contrary to fact and its consequence.
How to build it
Past is inserted before -다면: 가다 → 갔다면; 먹다 → 먹었다면; 하다 → 했다면.
Forms not to confuse
- -(으)면
시간이 있으면 전화해요. — If you have time, call me.
- -았/었더라면
일찍 왔더라면 만났을 거예요. — If you had come early, you would have met them.
Examples
아, 놀라게 했다면 죄송해요. — Oh, I’m sorry if I startled you.
제가 실수했다면 사과할게요. — If I made a mistake, I’ll apologize.