jigeum seodureumyeon jesigane dochakhae.

If you hurry now, you’ll arrive on time.

Breakdown of jigeum seodureumyeon jesigane dochakhae.

• 지금: now
• ~에: time particle
• 도착하다: to arrive
• ~면: if
• 서두르다: to hurry
• 제시간: right time

Questions & Answers about jigeum seodureumyeon jesigane dochakhae.

Who is the subject? Why is “you” not written?

Korean commonly drops subjects when they’re obvious from context. Here, the subject is understood as “you.”

• You can make it explicit: 지금 네가 서두르면 제시간에 도착해. (네가 is pronounced “니가.”)
• It could also be “we”: 지금 우리가 서두르면 제시간에 도착해.

What does the ending -(으)면 mean in this sentence?

It marks a condition: “if/when.” With time words like 지금, it reads as a real, immediate condition: “If you hurry now.” -(으)면 can also mean “whenever” in general truths.

Why does 도착해 (present) talk about the future?

In Korean, present tense in an -(으)면 clause sequence often expresses a future result that follows the condition. So … 서두르면 … 도착해 naturally means “If …, (you) will arrive.” You can make the future explicit with 도착할 거야/요, but it’s not required.

Why is it 서두르면 and not 서둘러면 or 서둘르면?

Because 서두르다 is a “르-irregular” verb that only changes before -아/어 endings (e.g., 서둘러요, 서둘렀어요). It does not change before -면, so it stays 서두르면.

• Compare:
  • 서둘러요 (before -어)
  • 서두르면 (before -면)

How do I choose between -면 and -으면?

Use:

• -면 after stems ending in a vowel (and typically after stems ending in ㄹ): 가면, 사면, 살면, 만들면
• -으면 after stems ending in other consonants: 먹으면, 읽으면 Here, 서두르- ends in a vowel sound, so 서두르면 is correct.

What’s the politeness level of 도착해? How can I say this more politely or formally?

도착해 is casual (intimate, 해체). Politer or more formal options:

• Polite: 지금 서두르면 제시간에 도착해요.
• More formal: 지금 서두르면 제시간에 도착합니다.
• With an explicit future:
  • Casual: … 도착할 거야.
  • Polite: … 도착할 거예요.
  • Formal: … 도착할 것입니다.

Why is it 제시간에? What does 에 do here?

에 marks a point in time, so 제시간에 means “at/on the right time (on time).” It’s the natural collocation for “arrive on time.”

Can I use 까지 instead of 에 (e.g., “제시간까지”)?

Generally, no. 까지 means “by/until” and pairs well with a specific deadline: 세 시까지 도착해 (“arrive by 3 o’clock”). For the idiomatic “on time,” use 제시간에 도착하다, not 제시간까지.

What’s the difference among 제시간에, 제때(에), and 정시에?

• 제시간에: “on time” (everyday, very common).
• 제때(에): “at the right time/when needed” (slightly broader; also common in speech).
• 정시에: “exactly on the scheduled time” (more formal/official, e.g., trains, meetings).

Can I move 지금 elsewhere or drop it?

• Most natural here: 지금 서두르면 … (sets the timeframe).
• You can drop it if context already implies urgency: 서두르면 제시간에 도착해.
• Putting 지금 later (e.g., 서두르면 지금 …) is usually odd unless you’re contrasting “now” with another time.

Is there a way to say “only if you hurry now” or “you must hurry now to be on time”?

Yes:

• Emphasizing necessity: 지금 서둘러야 제시간에 도착해. (“You have to hurry now to arrive on time.”)
• “As long as” nuance: 지금만 서두르면 제시간에 도착해. (“As long as you just hurry now, you’ll be on time.”)

How would I say the negative version (“If you don’t hurry now, you won’t be on time”)?

• 지금 서두르지 않으면 제시간에 못 도착해.
• Polite: 지금 서두르지 않으면 제시간에 못 도착해요. Use 못 (cannot) rather than 안 (don’t) here, since the result is about inability rather than refusal.

What’s the difference between 도착해, 도착할 거야, and 도착할 수 있어?

• 도착해: Plain statement of the expected result in a conditional (“you’ll arrive”).
• 도착할 거야/요: More explicitly predictive (“you will probably arrive”).
• 도착할 수 있어: Expresses ability/possibility (“you can make it / it’s possible to arrive”); slightly less certain or more about capability.

Is the spacing correct? And how is this pronounced?

• Spacing: 지금 서두르면 제시간에 도착해 (all as written; 제시간 is one word).
• Rough pronunciation (romanization): jigeum seodureumyeon jesigane dochakhae.