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Grammar / Level 3 / Lesson 59

~더라도 and 아무리: no matter what

By Daniel Buckley · 13 minute read · TOPIK 3

Vocabulary

  1. 아무리 - no matter how
  2. 상관없다 - to not matter
  3. 포기하다 - to give up
  4. 실패하다 - to fail
  5. 참다 - to hold back, to put up with
  6. 나이 - age
  7. 가격 - price
  8. 신청하다 - to apply
  9. 열쇠 - key
  10. 이상하다 - to be strange

You can already say 비가 와도 갈 거예요, I'll go even if it rains. That's a calm sentence. It doesn't yet say "however hard it rains" or "whatever anyone says".

All the forms here do what 아/어도 does: they say the first thing won't change the second. Each adds something different, though, and the one question that sorts most of them is whether the first half is a real fact or something you're only supposing.

~더라도: even supposing

더라도 goes on the stem and adds 도 to a supposition. Think of it as a heavier 아/어도: you imagine the awkward case, maybe not a likely one, and say your position holds anyway. That's why it's so often followed by advice, a promise or a firm "I will".

Making ~더라도

  • Verbs and adjectives: drop 다, add 더라도.오다 → 오더라도먹다 → 먹더라도힘들다 → 힘들더라도
  • Past: add 더라도 after 았/었.끝났더라도
  • Nouns: add 이더라도, or 더라도 after a vowel.학생 → 학생이더라도친구 → 친구더라도

Pick a verb

오다오오더라도

  1. 힘들더라도 포기하지 마세요.

    Even if it's hard, don't give up.

  2. 조금 늦더라도 꼭 오세요.

    Even if you're a bit late, make sure you come.

  3. 실패하더라도 다시 해 볼 거예요.

    Even if I fail, I'll try again.

  4. 제가 없더라도 회의를 시작하세요.

    Even if I'm not there, start the meeting.

  5. 이미 끝났더라도 전화해 보세요.

    Even if it's already over, try phoning.

  6. 학생이더라도 표를 사야 해요.

    Even students have to buy a ticket.

So why not 아/어도? In most of these you could use it. The difference shows when the first half is a fact: 아/어도 can report something that really happened, as in 아파도 학교에 갔어요, and 더라도 mostly can't, because it's built for supposing.

아무리: no matter how

아무리 is an adverb, and it goes in front of the 아/어도 or 더라도 clause to push it to the limit. It does nothing by itself. It nearly always wants that "even if" ending to answer it, much as 아무도 wants a negative.

  1. 아무리 바빠도 밥은 먹어야 해요.

    No matter how busy you are, you have to eat.

  2. 아무리 찾아도 열쇠가 없어요.

    No matter how hard I look, I can't find the key.

  3. 아무리 먹어도 살이 안 쪄요.

    No matter how much I eat, I don't put on weight.

  4. 아무리 생각해도 이상해요.

    However I look at it, it's strange.

  5. 아무리 힘들더라도 참으세요.

    However hard it is, stick with it.

  6. 아무리 친구라도 그건 말할 수 없어요.

    Even if you're a friend, I can't tell you that.

※ The 라도 in example 6 is the one from 아/어도, where it can stand in for 여도 after a noun. 아무리 그래도, "even so", is also a set phrase worth keeping: 아무리 그래도 그건 너무 비싸요, even so, that's too expensive.

~는데도: even though it did

Put 도 on ~는데 and you get the opposite end from 더라도: a known fact that should have had an effect and didn't. It usually carries some surprise or complaint, as English "even though" can. Build it just as you build 는데.

Making ~는데도

  • Verbs, 있다 and 없다: 는데도.오다 → 오는데도없다 → 없는데도
  • Adjectives: ㄴ데도 or 은데도.바쁘다 → 바쁜데도많다 → 많은데도
  • Past: 았/었는데도.먹었는데도
  • Nouns: 인데도.일요일 → 일요일인데도

Pick a verb

오다오오는데도

  1. 비가 오는데도 밖에 나갔어요.

    He went out even though it was raining.

  2. 약을 먹었는데도 머리가 아파요.

    I still have a headache even though I took medicine.

  3. 열심히 공부했는데도 시험을 못 봤어요.

    I did badly even though I studied hard.

  4. 배가 부른데도 계속 먹어요.

    I keep eating even though I'm full.

  5. 일요일인데도 회사에 가요.

    I'm going to work even though it's Sunday.

  6. 여러 번 말했는데도 안 들어요.

    He doesn't listen even though I've told him many times.

Since the first half is a fact and the second is what came of it, this form reports. It doesn't normally lead into a command or suggestion. For those, use 더라도 or 아/어도.

Here's the split to practise. Decide whether the first half really happened, or is only being imagined.

  1. 비가 오는데도 나갔어요.

  2. 비가 오더라도 나갈 거예요.

  3. 약을 먹었는데도 안 나아요.

  4. 실패하더라도 괜찮아요.

  5. 돈이 없는데도 또 샀어요.

  6. 아무리 비싸더라도 살 거예요.

든지 간에 and 든

You met 든지 as "any of these, it doesn't matter". 든지 간에 says the same with more weight, usually with a question word or a pair of options. It's most often followed by what stays the same whichever way things go.

  1. 뭘 하든지 간에 열심히 하세요.

    Whatever you do, do it properly.

  2. 어디에 살든지 간에 연락은 하세요.

    Wherever you live, stay in touch.

  3. 누가 오든지 간에 저는 안 갈 거예요.

    Whoever comes, I'm not going.

  4. 비가 오든지 눈이 오든지 간에 내일 출발해요.

    Rain or snow, we set off tomorrow.

든 is 든지 with the end worn off, and the meaning doesn't change. It's the one you'll hear most in speech, and it's in set phrases: 좋든 싫든, like it or not.

Using 든

  • Question words: whatever, whenever.뭐든어디든언제든누구든
  • Stems, usually with a question word or a pair: drop 다, add 든.뭘 하든가든 말든
  • Nouns: (이)든.커피든 차든밥이든 빵이든

  1. 뭐든 괜찮아요.

    Anything's fine.

  2. 언제든 오세요.

    Come any time.

  3. 뭘 먹든 저는 괜찮아요.

    I'm fine with whatever we eat.

  4. 누가 뭐라고 하든 저는 갈 거예요.

    Whatever anyone says, I'm going.

  5. 좋든 싫든 해야 해요.

    Like it or not, you have to do it.

  6. 가든 말든 마음대로 하세요.

    Go or don't go, suit yourself.

에 상관없이: regardless of

상관 means a connection, and 없이 means without, so N에 상관없이 is "with no connection to N". It goes on a noun, unlike the endings above, and it's common in rules and adverts as well as in speech.

  1. 나이에 상관없이 누구나 신청할 수 있어요.

    Anyone can apply, regardless of age.

  2. 날씨에 상관없이 매일 달려요.

    I run every day, whatever the weather.

  3. 가격에 상관없이 좋은 걸 사고 싶어요.

    I want to buy a good one, whatever it costs.

상관없어요 alone is "it doesn't matter" or "I don't mind", and you'll use it as much as anything in this lesson. 저는 상관없어요 is a common reply to "where shall we eat?".

Choosing one

  1. 시험에 ___ 실망하지 마세요.

    Even if you fail the exam, don't be disappointed.

  2. 어제 열 시간을 ___ 피곤해요.

    I'm tired even though I slept ten hours last night.

  3. ___ 찾아도 없어요.

    No matter how hard I look, it isn't there.

  4. 누가 ___ 저는 안 갈 거예요.

    Whoever comes, I'm not going.

  5. ___ 누구나 들어올 수 있어요.

    Anyone can come in, regardless of age.

Listen and type

1 / 3

Play it as often as you like.

In a conversation

A

내일 비가 오더라도 등산을 갈 거예요?

Tomorrow rain even if comes hiking will go?

B

네, 아무리 많이 와도 갈 거예요.

Yes, no matter how much even if comes will go.

A

지난번에도 비가 오는데도 갔다가 감기에 걸렸잖아요.

Last time also rain even though came went and cold caught, you know.

B

누가 뭐라고 하든 저는 갈 거예요.

Who what says whatever I will go.

A

그럼 우산은 꼭 가져가세요.

Then umbrella definitely take.

Common mistakes

  1. 어제 아프더라도 학교에 갔어요.

    어제 아팠는데도 학교에 갔어요.

    You really were sick, so don't suppose it. A past fact takes 는데도 or plain 아/어도.

  2. 아무리 바빠서 밥은 먹어요.

    아무리 바빠도 밥은 먹어요.

    아무리 wants an "even if" ending. 아/어서 gives a reason, which is the opposite idea.

  3. 누가 오던지 간에 저는 안 갈 거예요.

    누가 오든지 간에 저는 안 갈 거예요.

    The choice ending is 든지 with ㅡ. 던지 is about the past, and even Koreans mix them up in writing.

Check yourself

Quick check

1 / 6

___ 포기하지 마세요. (힘들다, with 더라도) Even if it's hard, don't give up.

Stem, then 더라도.

Summary

더라도 forms
DictionaryStem더라도
가다가가더라도
먹다먹먹더라도
바쁘다바쁘바쁘더라도
듣다듣듣더라도
춥다춥춥더라도
살다살살더라도

Five ways to say it doesn't matter

  • 더라도: even supposing. For what may or may not be true.힘들더라도 포기하지 마세요
  • 아무리 + 아/어도: no matter how.아무리 먹어도 살이 안 쪄요
  • 는데도: even though. For facts.비가 오는데도 나갔어요
  • 든지 간에, 든: whichever it is.뭘 하든지 간에, 뭘 하든
  • 에 상관없이: regardless of a noun.나이에 상관없이

Now you can say

  1. 힘들더라도 포기하지 마세요.

    Even if it's hard, don't give up.

  2. 아무리 찾아도 열쇠가 없어요.

    No matter how hard I look, I can't find the key.

  3. 저는 상관없어요.

    I don't mind.

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