Learn Hardcore Korean: sinyongkadeureul ilheobeorimyeon baro eunhaenge jeonhwahaeya hae. - If you lose your credit card, you have to call the bank right away.

신용카드를 잃어버리면 바로 은행에 전화해야 해.sinyongkadeureul ilheobeorimyeon baro eunhaenge jeonhwahaeya hae.

If you lose your credit card, you have to call the bank right away.

Breakdown of sinyongkadeureul ilheobeorimyeon baro eunhaenge jeonhwahaeya hae.

Questions & Answers about sinyongkadeureul ilheobeorimyeon baro eunhaenge jeonhwahaeya hae.

What does -면 in 잃어버리면 mean—if or when?

-면 is a conditional meaning if. In real-life instructions like this, it often also feels like when/whenever (because losing a card is a realistic possibility).

신용카드를 잃어버리면… = If/When you lose your credit card…

Why is it 잃어버리다 instead of just 잃다?

Both relate to losing something, but the nuance differs:

잃다 = to lose (more neutral; can also mean “to lose” in broader senses like losing time, losing a match, etc.)
잃어버리다 = to lose/misplace (often suggests the item is gone due to your mistake/accident; very common in daily speech for losing objects)

So 신용카드를 잃어버리면 sounds very natural for misplacing/losing a physical card.

What is the role of 를 in 신용카드를?

를 is the object marker, showing that 신용카드 is what gets lost.

신용카드-를 잃어버리다 = to lose a credit card

In conversation, object particles can sometimes be omitted, but with longer nouns like 신용카드, keeping 를 is common and clear.

Why is 바로 placed before 은행에?