Grammar
-(으)려면
Meaning
Intermediate-(eu)ryeomyeon
Attaches to a verb stem to mean 'if you want to ~' or 'in order to ~,' introducing the condition or goal that must be met to achieve what follows. The second clause typically states what is needed to reach that goal.
Form
Attaches to a verb stem (mainly action verbs, not adjectives): no final consonant + -려면, final consonant + -으려면. Stems ending in ㄹ take -려면 directly (만들다 → 만들려면). It is very often followed by -아/어야 하다 in the next clause, as in the pattern '~(으)려면 ~아/어야 하다' ('if you want to ~, you have to ~').
Examples
인구를 유지하려면 출산율이 올라야 한다.
To maintain the population, the birth rate needs to rise.
한국어를 잘하려면 매일 연습해야 해요.
If you want to be good at Korean, you have to practice every day.
기차를 놓치지 않으려면 지금 출발해야 해요.
If you don't want to miss the train, you need to leave now.
살을 빼려면 운동을 꾸준히 해야 합니다.
If you want to lose weight, you have to exercise consistently.
Common mistakes & nuance
-(으)려면 is almost always used with action verbs, not adjectives — you can't easily say '-으려면' after an adjective like 예쁘다.
Similar grammar
- -(으)면
-(으)면 is a general 'if.' -(으)려면 always frames the condition as something the subject wants or intends to achieve — it's specifically goal-oriented.
- -기 위해(서)
-기 위해(서) states a purpose directly ('in order to ~, [subject does something]'). -(으)려면 poses it as a hypothetical condition and is usually followed by what's needed to meet it, often with -아/어야 하다.