밖에 and 뿐: only, and nothing but
By Daniel Buckley · 11 minute read · TOPIK 2
Vocabulary
- 밖 - outside
- 지갑 - wallet
- 참다 - to put up with
- 걸어가다 - to go on foot
- 물어보다 - to ask
- 값 - price
- 바람 - wind
- 불다 - to blow
- 출근하다 - to go to work
Open your wallet and find one 1,000 won note. 천 원만 있어요 reports the fact. 천 원밖에 없어요 reports the same fact with a sigh.
밖 means outside, so 밖에 없어요 says that outside this, nothing exists. Korean says "only" here by ruling everything else out, which is why the verb goes negative. Once that clicks, ㄹ/을 수밖에 없다 needs almost no explaining.
밖에: nothing but
밖에 goes straight on a noun or a number. The verb after it has to be negative, even though English says "only" with a positive verb. 없다, 안, 못, 모르다 and 수 없다 all count.
Making 밖에
- Add 밖에, then finish on a negative.천 원밖에 없어요조금밖에 안 먹어요세 시간밖에 못 잤어요
지갑에 천 원밖에 없어요.
In wallet, other than 1,000 won, (there) isn't (any).
어제 세 시간밖에 못 잤어요.
Yesterday, other than three hours, (I) couldn't sleep.
아침에 커피밖에 안 마셨어요.
In the morning, other than coffee, (I) didn't drink.
한국어를 조금밖에 몰라요.
Other than a little, (I) don't know Korean.
저는 친구가 한 명밖에 없어요.
Other than one person, I don't have friends.
이 표는 여기에서밖에 살 수 없어요.
This ticket, other than here, (you) can't buy.
※ Spacing keeps this apart from the place word. 집 밖에 있어요 means it's outside the house. 집밖에 없어요 means you have nothing but a house.
밖에 or 만?
만 simply states the limit, and it doesn't need a negative. 밖에 usually adds that the amount falls short of what you wanted or expected.
학생이 다섯 명만 왔어요.
Only five students came.
학생이 다섯 명밖에 안 왔어요.
Other than five, students didn't come.
The first could come from someone who's fine with five. The second comes from someone who had put out twenty chairs. 밖에 can't go with a positive request like 주세요 either.
집에 우유___ 없어요.
All we have at home is milk.
물___ 주세요.
Just water, please.
시험까지 이틀___ 안 남았어요.
There are only two days left until the exam.
저는 커피___ 마셔요.
I only drink coffee.
ㄹ/을 수밖에 없다: no choice but to
수 means a way, as in ㄹ/을 수 있다. Add 밖에 and no way exists other than this one. 가야 돼요 reports a duty. 갈 수밖에 없어요 says you've looked at the other options and there aren't any, so it often sounds resigned.
Pick a verb
가다가갈 수밖에 없어요
버스가 없어서 걸어갈 수밖에 없었어요.
Bus didn't exist, so (I) had no choice but to go on foot.
버스가 안 오니까 기다릴 수밖에 없어요.
Bus doesn't come, so (we) have no choice but to wait.
아파도 참을 수밖에 없어요.
Even if (it) hurts, (you) have no choice but to put up with (it).
고기가 좋으니까 맛있을 수밖에 없어요.
Meat is good, so (it) can't help but be tasty.
매일 연습하니까 잘할 수밖에 없어요.
(She) practises every day, so (she) can't help but be good.
Examples 4 and 5 aren't about choices. When the subject doesn't decide anything, the pattern means the result was bound to happen. As with 수 있다, the past goes on 없다, as in example 1.
뿐: only that, nothing more
뿐 also means "only", but it needs no negative. It pairs with 이다 and sounds a little more formal than 만. People often use it to play something down: this much, and no more than this.
Making 뿐이다
- Nouns: add 뿐이다, with no space.이것 → 이것뿐이에요민수 씨 → 민수 씨뿐이에요
- Verbs and adjectives: ㄹ/을, a space, then 뿐이다.피곤하다 → 피곤할 뿐이에요
- Past: add 을 뿐이다 to the 았/었 stem.물어봤을 뿐이에요했을 뿐이에요
제가 아는 사람은 민수 씨뿐이에요.
Person I know is only Minsu.
제가 가진 돈은 이것뿐이에요.
Money I have is only this.
조금 피곤할 뿐이에요.
(I) am only a little tired.
그냥 물어봤을 뿐이에요.
(I) just asked, nothing more.
저는 제 일을 했을 뿐이에요.
I only did my work.
Example 5 is what you might say when someone thanks you too much. Before a noun, 뿐이다 becomes 뿐인, as in 하나뿐인 동생, my one and only younger sibling.
뿐만 아니라: not only
아니라 comes from 아니다, so this is literally "it isn't only that". The second half usually takes 도, which supplies the "also". 뿐 아니라 without 만 means the same.
Making 뿐만 아니라
- Nouns: add 뿐만 아니라, with no space before 뿐.한국어뿐만 아니라 일본어도
- Verbs and adjectives: ㄹ/을, a space, then 뿐만 아니라.맛있을 뿐만 아니라 값도 싸요
- Past: add 을 뿐만 아니라 to the 았/었 stem.바빴을 뿐만 아니라
Pick a verb
먹다먹먹을 뿐만 아니라
한국어뿐만 아니라 일본어도 배워요.
(I) learn not only Korean, Japanese too.
저뿐만 아니라 친구들도 몰라요.
Not only I, friends too don't know.
이 식당은 맛있을 뿐만 아니라 값도 싸요.
This restaurant is not only tasty, price too is cheap.
비가 올 뿐만 아니라 바람도 불어요.
Not only does rain come, wind too blows.
어제는 바빴을 뿐만 아니라 몸도 아팠어요.
Yesterday (I) not only was busy, body too hurt.
이 집은 넓어요. 그뿐만 아니라 역도 가까워요.
This house is spacious. Not only that, station too is close.
※ This sounds planned, and it suits writing and careful speech. In a chat you'd more likely say 맛있고 값도 싸요.
Listen and type
1 / 3
Play it as often as you like.
In a conversation
- A
오늘 커피를 많이 마시네요.
Today (you) drink a lot of coffee, (I notice).
- B
어제 세 시간밖에 못 잤어요.
Yesterday, other than three hours, couldn't sleep.
- A
왜요? 일이 많았어요?
Why? Work was a lot?
- B
네, 회의가 많았을 뿐만 아니라 보고서도 써야 했어요.
Yes, not only were meetings many, report too had to write.
- A
내일은 쉴 수 있어요?
Tomorrow can rest?
- B
아니요, 일이 많아서 내일도 출근할 수밖에 없어요.
No, work is a lot, so tomorrow too no choice but to go to work.
- A
쉬는 날이 언제예요?
Resting day is when?
- B
일요일밖에 없어요.
Other than Sunday, doesn't exist.
Common mistakes
천 원밖에 있어요.
천 원밖에 없어요.
밖에 needs a negative verb. With 있어요, use 만: 천 원만 있어요.
커피밖에 주세요.
커피만 주세요.
주세요 is positive, so it can't take 밖에.
맛있는 뿐만 아니라 값도 싸요.
맛있을 뿐만 아니라 값도 싸요.
After a verb or adjective, 뿐 follows the ㄹ/을 form, even when the meaning is the present.
One sentence in each group is wrong. Tap it.
Check yourself
Quick check
1 / 6
지갑에 천 원___ 없어요. I've only got 1,000 won in my wallet.
The verb is negative.
Summary
| Dictionary | Stem | ㄹ/을 수밖에 없어요 |
|---|---|---|
| 가다 | 가 | 갈 수밖에 없어요 |
| 먹다 | 먹 | 먹을 수밖에 없어요 |
| 만들다 | 만들 | 만들 수밖에 없어요 |
| 듣다 | 듣 | 들을 수밖에 없어요 |
| 돕다 | 돕 | 도울 수밖에 없어요 |
| 맛있다 | 맛있 | 맛있을 수밖에 없어요 |
Four ways to limit something
- 밖에 plus a negative: less than you'd like.천 원밖에 없어요
- 뿐이다: this much and no more.조금 피곤할 뿐이에요
- 뿐만 아니라 ... 도: not only this, that too.한국어뿐만 아니라 일본어도 배워요
- ㄹ/을 수밖에 없다: there's no other way.기다릴 수밖에 없어요
Now you can say
지갑에 천 원밖에 없어요.
In wallet, other than 1,000 won, (there) isn't (any).
버스가 안 오니까 기다릴 수밖에 없어요.
Bus doesn't come, so (we) have no choice but to wait.
그냥 물어봤을 뿐이에요.
(I) just asked, nothing more.
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