#section:advi

This grammar point is used to propose the possibility of an event occurring. Therefore it’s is similar to 만약에 -으면 or 만약에 -은/는다면, but the main difference is that -기라도 하면 is used when the possible event only has a small chance of occurring. It can also be used to describe both positive and negative events, but depending on the content of the sentence it has different meanings.

-기라도 하면 is used with verbs and adjectives, and is attached directly to the word stem.

Let’s look at the negative use for this grammar point first.

When using -기라도 하면 negatively, it’s often paired with words/phrases like 어떡하나(어쩌나) 걱정이 되다, or 두렵다, though it’s not absolutely required.

Using this grammar point negatively expresses concern about what someone would do if the event were to possibly happen, though the chance is small.

For example:

오늘 혹시 비가 오기라도 하면 어떡해? 그러니까 우산 가지고 가. If it were to rain, what would you do? So take an umbrella with you.

In this example the speaker is aware that the chance of rain is very small, but urges their listener to bring an umbrella anyway just to be prepared.

새로운 일을 시작하면서 혹시 잘못되기라도 하면 어떡하나 두려움도 많았어요. While starting my new job I was nervous about what it would be like were it to not go well.

In this example the speaker is talking about a past event, that when they started their job they were worried about not doing well, though they were obviously of the thought that the chance of not doing well in the first place was very small.

On the opposite hand, when used in the positive manner, this grammar point expresses a very unlikely event that you do not expect to happen but still hope for. In this instance -기라도 하면 is paired with the phrase 얼마나 좋을까(좋겠다).

For example:

너를 만나는 것은 바라지도 않아. 그냥 지나가다가 잠깐 얼굴을 보기라도 하면 좋겠어. I wouldn’t go as far as to wish to meet you. How wonderful would it be were I to even just see your face in passing.

This example is pretty straight forward--the speaker is obviously missing someone they cannot meet up with or see, so they wish to see their face for even just a moment, but by using -기라도 하면 they are indirectly saying they know there is almost no chance of it happening.

중간 시험을 잘 보기라도 하면 얼마나 좋을까... If I were to do well on my midterms how great would that be...

This sentence is considering “positive” in that the result (doing well on exams) would be a really good thing, however the speaker is indirectly saying that the chance of doing well on exams is very low, for whatever reason, and the likely outcome will be negative.

So in the end this grammar point can be very useful for expressing many different feelings, as long as you take care to keep in mind that whatever you’re talking about is something that only has a very small chance of occurring. If you’re going to go with a more general statement, use an alternative like 만약 -으면 instead. :)

In this lesson, we will look at a way of being a little dramatic in Korean. :P Kidding. But this grammar point is used to indicate that not only was the clause it’s attached to is impossible, but that the additional following clause, something easier and simple, is also impossible. Confused yet? Let’s have an example.

오늘 아침에 시간이 없어서 밥은커녕 물도 못 마셨어요. Because I had no time this morning, I couldn’t even drink water let alone eat.

Using this grammar point has the same meaning in English as “I was unable to do (super simple action), let alone (action originally question).”  However, the order is reversed in Korean compared to the translation:

[A]은/는커녕 [B]도 못/안 한다. When using this grammar point, B has to be the task that’s a lot easier than A. B is an action that should normally be easier to do, but because of your situation at hand, A is impossible, and B even more so.

This grammar point is used mainly in speech and is used with nouns. -은커녕~ is attached to nouns ending in a consonant. -는커녕~ is attached to nouns ending in a vowel.

그는 춤은커녕 제대로 걷지도 못 해요. He can’t even walk properly, let alone dance.

소주는커녕 맥주도 못 마셔요. I can’t even drink beer, let alone soju.

지난 주말에 몸이 너무 아파서 외출은커녕 침대에서 일어나지도 못 했어요. Last weekend my body hurt so much I couldn’t even get out of bed, let alone go outside.

You’ll notice that the [B] action in all of the above examples is followed by the subject particle -도. However this can also be swapped with -조차(도) to emphasize how basic the [B] action is.

목이 아파서 밥은커녕 물조차 마실 수 없어요. My throat hurts so much I can’t even drink water, let alone eat.

This grammar point also has an additional use, where rather than the expected or anticipated action [A] occurring, [B] happened instead. In this instance [B] is usually a complete opposite of action [A]. The adverb 오히려 (rather, instead) can be used to emphasize how opposite the actions are. You would add 오히려 following 은/는커녕.

레오 씨가 사과했냐고? 사과는커녕 오히려 화만 내고 가 버렸어!! Did Leo apologize? Never mind apologizing, he got angry and walked away!!

In this example, the speaker was expecting their friend to apologize for something, but instead of the expected or anticipated action (an apology), the opposite happened where the friend became angry and walked away instead.

There is an additional way this grammar point can be used with verbs. To use this grammar point with a verb, -기는커녕 is added directly to the verb stem.

그는 다른 사람을 돕기는커녕 자신의 일도 제대로 못해요. He can’t even do his own work properly, let alone help other people.

내일이 시험인데 공부를 하기는커녕 TV만 보고 있어요. The test is tomorrow but I’m just watching TV, never mind studying.

When using verbs with -기는커녕 you must be very careful to keep the verb in it’s affirmative form, despite the fact that it’s a negative meaning sentence. Basically: don’t conjugate the verb you attach -기는커녕 to. It is used directly with the verb stem. This is a mistake a lot of Korean learners make.

공부를 열심히 하지 않기는커녕  X 공부를 열심히 하기는커녕  O

그는 공부를 열심히 하기는커녕 학교에도 매일 결석해요. He doesn’t even come to class everyday, let alone study hard.

Bonus: You can replace -은/는커녕 with the grammar point -은/는 고사하고 with pretty much no change in meaning. (Verbs: -기는커녕 can be used interchangeably with -는 것은 고사하고).

아침은커녕 물도 아직 못 마셨어요. 아침은 고사하고 물도 아직 못 마셨어요. I haven’t drank water yet, never mind eat breakfast.

This grammar point is used to indicate that the situation described in the preceding clause depends on the content of the following clause. There are two ways this grammar point can be used and we’ll have a look at both of them in this post. Let’s look at how the build the grammar first.

-느냐에 달려 있다 can be used with verbs, adjectives, and nouns+이다. -느냐에 is added to verbs in the present tense. -으냐에 is added to adjectives in the present tense. Nouns use -(이)냐에 in the present tense.

*Past tense adjectives and verbs use -았/었느냐에 and nouns use 였/이었느냐에. This is because while the present tense construction of the grammar point is connected directly to the verb stem, the tense is reflected in the word the grammar pattern is attached to in this instance. It is not reflected in the 있다 part of the construction.

The first way this grammar pattern can be used is very simple. 

A는 B느냐에 달려 있다.

This can be literally translated as “A hangs upon B” or “A rests upon B” but it’s most often colloquially used as “A depends on B”. When you’re using this grammar point to suggest A’s outcome is dependent on B, you would use it with words such as 얼마나 or 어떻게.

이번 일의 성공 여부는 얼마나 열심히 준비를 하느냐에 달려 있어요. The success of this task(A) depends on how hard you prepare for it(B).

So the successful completion of the task (which is filling in for A in our example construction) is completely dependent on how hard it’s prepared for (B, our variable).

Let’s look at something a little more specific.

레오: 이번 발표는 정말 잘하고 싶어요. 켄: 그거야 레오 씨가 얼마나 열심히 준비했느냐에 달려 있지요. Leo: I want to do really well on this presentation. Ken: Well that depends on how well you’ve prepared for it.

In this instance, the grammar point is used in the past tense because Leo has already done his preparing for the presentation, even though the presentation has yet to occur.

The second way this grammar point can be used is a little more complicated, but still simple.

A느냐 B느냐 하는 것은 C느냐에 달려 있다.

In this example, it can be translated as “Whether A or B happens depends on C”. A and B in this instance are often opposite actions or adjectives.

어떤 분야에서 성공하느냐 실패하느냐 하는 것은 그 사람의 타고난 능력이 아니라 그 일에 얼마나 열정을 가지고 진지하게 노력하느냐에 달려 있어요. Whether one succeeds or fails in a field depends not upon innate ability but upon how passionately and seriously one tries at it.

This is pretty self-explanatory. Failing and succeeding are opposite actions (A and B) and they depend on hard work and passion (variable C).

Let’s take a look at this grammar point using nouns. While it can be used with noun+이다 most often it’ll be used with just the noun itself and no copula. When this occurs, the construction changes to noun+에 달려 있다.

레오: 이번 일은 할까, 말까? 켄: 그거야 네 마음에 달려 있지. 하고 싶으면, 해! Leo: Should I do this work or not? Ken: That depends on how you feel. If you want to, do it!

레오: 내일 친구들하고 야외로 소풍을 가기로 했는데 갈 수 있을까? 켄: 그건 내일 날씨에 달려 있어. Leo: Tomorrow I’ve planned on going on a picnic with my friends; can you come? Ken: That depends on tomorrow’s weather.

Important Note: While this grammar point can be used in both writing and speech, when it is used in speaking the 느 (or 으 for adjectives) is usually dropped entirely in the present tense. So you can use 느냐에 or 으냐에 interchangeably with 냐에 for the present tense verbs/adjectives with no issues. In fact, some some textbooks seem to teach only 냐에 for adjectives so really just 마음대로 하세요. ㅋㅋㅋ

I’ll leave this lesson off with something I think people tend to forget sometimes:

여러분, 모든 일은 어떻게 생각하느냐에 달려 있어요!