으면 되다 gramatica - eumyeon doeda gramatica

(으)면 좋겠다 is a power grammar point. It’s at the (lower) intermediate level, but it’s used all the time. It’s a core grammar point in my opinion, and you definitely need to master it.

(으)면 좋겠다 is attached to both verbs and adjectives to express one’s wishes or hopes. Many beginner students try to say “I wish/hope” by translating the word to 소원을 빌다/희망하다/바라다 or the grammar point -기를 바라다. And while they aren’t exactly wrong, it’s really easy to use them awkwardly or incorrectly in everyday situations. 

And that’s why, I’d like to introduce (으)면 좋겠다. It uses (으)면 “if” and 좋겠다 “would be nice” to mean “I wish” or “I hope,” even though “wish” and “hope” aren’t always interchangeable in English. This grammar point can be used to express both. It literally expresses “I would be nice if…” One of the interesting parts of this grammar point is that context is super important when translating it. It can be used in a lot of situations unlike the English words “wish” or “hope” which have more distinguished differences. 

And if you already learned (으)면 “if/when,” then you already know how to conjugate it! Words ending with a consonant use -으면 좋겠다, and words ending with no consonant use -면 좋겠다.

Verbs/Adjectives

하다 —> 하면 좋겠다 vs. 먹다 —> 먹으면 좋겠다

크다 —> 크면 좋겠다 vs. 없다 —> 없으면 좋겠다

Here are some examples.

내일 시험을 잘 보면 좋겠어요. I hope I do well on the test tomorrow. (시험을 잘 보다 - to take a test well, do well on a test)

전 여자 친구가 앞으로 나랑 연락을 안 하면 좋겠어. I hope my ex-girlfriend doesn’t contact me anymore. 

둘이 항상 싸우더라고…헤어지면 좋겠어 Those two always fight…I wish they’d break up.

오늘 비가 오면 좋겠어요. I hope it rains today./It’d be nice if it rains today.

It’s also common to see this grammar used in the past tense, 았/었/였으면 좋겠다. I would actually argue that it’s more common to see it in the past tense (in my experience that is). Luckily, its core meaning doesn’t change. Textbooks are a bit hazy on the difference between the two. But some books say it’s just a little bit stronger. Think of it as a little more emphasis on your wish. (Just remember that this form is used a bit more. And the difference is really arbitrary in regards to its usage.)

너는…그런 말을 안 했으면 좋겠어. 너는 예쁘잖아. I wish you wouldn’t say that (words like that). You’re pretty…

A 아이돌이 나랑 사랑에 빠졌으면 좋겠다~ I wish idol A would fall in love with me.

내 생일 파티에 왔으면 좋겠어요. I hope you come to my birthday party./I wish you would come to my birthday party./It’d be great if you came to my birthday party.

좋은 대학교에 합격했으면 좋겠어. I hope I get accepted into a good school.

걔가 좀 조용했으면 좋겠어. I wish he would be quiet. (*note: this is not a nice thing to say~^^)

It can also be used with the copula 이다 and 아니다.

올해 우리 선생님이 남자였으면(남자면) 좋겠어. I hope our teacher is a man this year.

올해 우리 선생님이 남자가 아니었으면(아니면) 좋겠어. I hope our teacher isn’t a man this year.

You can also use (으)면 하다 instead of (으)면 좋겠다. (으)면 하다 tends to be used more often in formal speech. But the meaning remains the same. 

*Note: (으)면 하다 can be used in casual speech, but (으)면 좋겠다 isn’t really used in formal speech. 

여러분, 이 발표를 재미있게 보셨으면 합니다. Everyone, I hope you all enjoy this powerpoint.

주연 씨는 좀 더 일찍 수업에 오셨으면 해요. Miss Juyeon, I wish you would come to class a little bit earlier.

(이웃에게) 죄송한데요. 저희 아들이 강아지 털 알레르기가 있거든요. 그래서 강아지랑 놀지 않았으면 해요. (To a neighbor) I’m sorry. You see, our son has a dog fur allergy. So, I hope he doesn’t play with the dog. (And in context, that would equal~ I hope you don’t let him play with the dog.)

Let me know if you have any questions.

Good luck studying everyone! Follow me for more lessons and tips~