Learn Hardcore Korean: gal banghyangeul moreugesseumyeon jidoreul hwaginhae. - If you don’t know which direction to go, check the map.

갈 방향 literally means “the direction (to) go.” Here 갈 is the verb 가다 (“to go”) in its future/attributive form (verb stem + -ㄹ) modifying 방향 (“direction”). You could also say 가는 방향 (present participle form + -는), which emphasizes an ongoing action (“the direction you’re going”). 갈 방향 is more about your intended or upcoming direction; both are grammatically correct but carry a slight nuance difference.

Why is 모르겠으면 used instead of 모르면, and what’s the role of -겠- in 모르겠다?

모르다 means “to not know” in a straightforward sense, and its conditional is 모르면 (“if (you) don’t know”). 모르겠다 adds -겠-, which here conveys the speaker’s feeling of not being able to know or being unsure (“I’m not sure / I can’t figure it out”). So 모르겠으면 means “if you don’t know / if you’re not sure.” It’s slightly softer or more subjective than plain 모르면 but both are common.

Why does 갈 방향 take the object marker -을 in 갈 방향을 모르겠으면?

In Korean, 모르다 is a transitive verb that requires an object. The object of 모르다 (“to not know”) is what you don’t know—here, 갈 방향. To mark it as the object, you attach the particle -을 (since 방향 ends in a consonant): 갈 방향을 모르겠으면 = “if (you) don’t know the direction to go.”

What’s the nuance difference between 지도를 확인해 and 지도를 봐?

확인해 (“check/confirm”) implies verifying or making sure of something, whereas 봐 (“look at/see”) is more general. So 지도를 확인해 means “check the map (to be sure about your route),” while 지도를 봐 simply means “look at the map.”

What form is 확인해, and how polite or casual is it? How could I make it more or less formal?

확인해 is the informal (반말) imperative form of 확인하다. It’s used among close friends, family, or when you want a casual tone. To be more polite (존댓말), you would say 지도를 확인하세요. To sound very formal or in written instructions, you might see 지도를 확인하시오 or even 지도를 확인하십시오.

There’s no subject in 갈 방향을 모르겠으면 지도를 확인해. Who is implied?

Korean often omits the subject when it’s clear from context. In this sentence, the implied subject is “you.” So the full thought is (네가) 갈 방향을 모르겠으면, (네가) 지도를 확인해, meaning “if you don’t know which way to go, check the map.”