Unit 19: If / Once (-거들랑)

You know -(으)면 means "if." In older or more colloquial Easy Korean, you might hear -거들랑. It means "if it happens that..." or "once you do...".

Structure

Verb / Adjective Stem + -거들랑 (Can be used with past tense: -았/었/였거들랑)

• 가다 -> 가거들랑 (If you happen to go)
• 바쁘다 -> 바쁘거들랑 (If it turns out you are busy)

Usage Rule

The second clause MUST be a command (-(으)세요), a suggestion (-자), or an expression of future intention. You cannot end it with a simple past statement.

Examples

• 서울에 가거들랑 연락해. (If you happen to go to Seoul, contact me.)
• 맛이 없거들랑 먹지 마세요. (If it turns out to be tasteless, don't eat it.)
• 심심하거들랑 영화나 보세요. (If you're bored, just watch a movie or something.)