what does 나가거든 mean here?? kim young ha short story

Question

here is the sentence

이렇게 만난 것도 인연인데 [[ 나가거든]] 커피나 한 잔 하지요,라고 말을 건네보았지만 여자 는 묵묵부답이었다.

I know what 거든 means when you use it to emphasize what you're saying but in this sentence it seems like a different usage... thank you for your time

Answer 1

Refer to the NAVER Korean Dictionary:

거든

ending.

1. A connective ending indicating "If something is true", "If something comes true".
   • 그분을 만나거든 꼭 제 인사 말씀을 전해 주세요.
     If you meet him, please send my greetings to him.
   • 할아버지가 편찮으시거든 내게 꼭 기별을 해라.
     If grandpa gets sick, be sure to contact me.
   • 혹시 길이 미끄럽거든 지하철을 이용해라.
     If the road is slippery, use the subway.

(continued)

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Also refer to the Standard Korean Rules(표준어 규정):

Standard Korean Rules Chapter 2, Section 4, Clause 17.

'거든' is used after the verb stem or prefinal endings such as '-았-','-겠', '-시-' to indicate the meaning of assumption, condition, reason, or resolution. It also has the nuance of "If we can think of something as true, it becoming a cause or reason, other thing can also be thought as true without doubt." An ending with a similar pronunciation '-거던' is also being used, but we choose '-거든' to be the only standard form.

표준어 규정 2장 4절 17항.

‘-거든’은 동사 어간이나 선어말어미 ‘-았-,-겠-,-시-’ 아래에 쓰여 가정이나 조건, 이유나 다짐의 뜻을 나타내고, 어떤 사실을 인정함으로써 그것이 원인이나 근거가 되어 다른 사실이 당연히 인정됨을 나타내거나 이상하거나 납득할 수 없다는 느낌을 나타내기도 하는 어미이다. 비슷한 발음의 ‘-거던’이 사용되기도 하나 ‘거든’만 표준어로 삼는다.

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So '-거든' can be translated to if, when, or provided that. Hence we can translate the given sentence to:

Meeting like this is destiny, so if(when) we leave here let's have some coffee.
이렇게 만난 것도 인연인데 나가거든 커피나 한 잔 하지요.