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Grammar / Level 4 / Lesson 102

느니, ㄹ/을 바에야, 는 한이 있어도: rather than

By Daniel Buckley · 11 minute read · TOPIK 5

Vocabulary

  1. 차라리 - rather, might as well
  2. 낫다 - to be better
  3. 어차피 - anyway, in any case
  4. 기왕 - since it's going to happen anyway
  5. 부탁하다 - to ask a favour
  6. 억지로 - against your will
  7. 제대로 - properly
  8. 굶다 - to go hungry
  9. 새우다 - to stay up (all night)
  10. 헤어지다 - to break up, to part

You need help moving a sofa, and the only person around is someone you can't stand. English says "I'd rather do it myself". Korean starts from the option you're refusing, 그 사람한테 부탁하느니 혼자 할래요: ask him, no, I'll do it alone.

All three forms here put the unpleasant option first and then deal with it. Two throw it out, and one takes it on the chin. They're ordinary spoken Korean as well as written, so these are worth using.

느니: not that, this

느니 goes on a verb stem and marks the option you're rejecting. The second clause gives what you'd take instead. 차라리, "I'd sooner", very often opens that clause, and it tends to end in 겠어요, ㄹ/을래요 or 는 게 나아요.

Making 느니

  • Verb stem + 느니, with no tense. ㄹ drops.먹다 → 먹느니살다 → 사느니
  • For more force: 느니보다, or 느니 차라리.가느니보다가느니 차라리

Pick a verb

먹다먹먹느니

  1. 그 사람한테 부탁하느니 혼자 할래요.

    I'd rather do it alone than ask him.

  2. 이렇게 사느니 차라리 시골로 내려가겠어요.

    Rather than live like this, I'd move to the country.

  3. 버스를 기다리느니 걸어가는 게 낫겠어요.

    We'd be better off walking than waiting for the bus.

  4. 그런 음식을 먹느니 안 먹는 게 나아요.

    I'd sooner go without than eat food like that.

  5. 거짓말을 하느니보다 솔직하게 말하는 게 좋아요.

    It's better to be honest than to tell a lie.

※ Don't confuse this with a repeated 느니, which lists things people say: 좋다느니 나쁘다느니 말이 많아요. Some say it's good, some bad, and there's a lot of talk.

ㄹ/을 바에야: if it comes to that

바 is a small noun meaning a thing or a situation, and (이)야 gives it its edge. The sense is "if that's what it's going to be", and the speaker has already decided against it. You'll also hear 바에는 and plain 바에.

It does two things 느니 can't. It accepts adjectives, and it can say that since a thing has to happen anyway, you may as well do it right. That reading comes with 어차피 or 기왕.

Pick a verb

하다하할 바에야

  1. 억지로 할 바에는 안 하는 게 낫지.

    If you're only doing it because you have to, better not to do it.

  2. 이렇게 헤어질 바에야 처음부터 만나지 말 걸 그랬어요.

    If it was going to end like this, we should never have met.

  3. 그 돈을 주고 살 바에야 안 사는 게 나아요.

    Rather than pay that much for it, it's better not to buy it.

  4. 이렇게 더울 바에야 집에 있는 게 낫겠어요.

    If it's going to be this hot, I'd rather stay at home.

  5. 어차피 할 바에야 제대로 합시다.

    Since we've got to do it anyway, let's do it properly.

  6. 기왕 갈 바에는 일찍 갑시다.

    If we're going anyway, let's go early.

는 한이 있어도: even if it comes to

This is the 한 that means a limit. The first clause names the worst case you can imagine, and the second is what you'll hold on to anyway. So it runs the other way from 느니: there the bad option is refused, and here it's accepted as the price.

It's a serious way of talking, and you'd save it for things you mean. You'll hear it in speech as well as read it. Use 는 whatever the time frame, and it also comes as 는 한이 있더라도.

Pick a verb

굶다굶굶는 한이 있어도

  1. 굶는 한이 있어도 그 돈은 안 받겠어요.

    I won't take that money, even if it means going hungry.

  2. 회사를 그만두는 한이 있어도 거짓말은 못 해요.

    I can't lie, even if it costs me my job.

  3. 밤을 새우는 한이 있어도 오늘 끝낼 거예요.

    I'll finish this today, even if I have to stay up all night.

  4. 일 년을 더 기다리는 한이 있더라도 제대로 하고 싶어요.

    I want to do this properly, even if it means waiting another year.

  5. 지는 한이 있어도 끝까지 최선을 다하겠습니다.

    Even if we lose, we'll give it everything to the end.

  1. 그 사람한테 사과하느니 회사를 그만두겠어요.

  2. 회사를 그만두는 한이 있어도 사과는 안 해요.

  3. 그렇게 비싸게 살 바에야 안 사요.

  4. 돈을 빌리는 한이 있어도 아이는 대학에 보낼 거예요.

  5. 지하철을 타느니 걸어가는 게 낫겠어요.

Listen and type

1 / 3

Play it as often as you like.

In a conversation

A

이번 주말에도 일해야 해요?

This weekend too must you work?

B

네. 그런데 대충 할 바에야 안 하는 게 나아서요.

Yes. But roughly if it's to be done, not doing is better, so.

A

민수 씨한테 도와 달라고 하지 그래요?

To Minsu, help-me saying, why not?

B

민수 씨한테 부탁하느니 혼자 할래요.

To Minsu rather than asking, alone I'll do.

A

혼자서 언제 다 해요?

Alone when all do?

B

밤을 새우는 한이 있어도 끝낼 거예요.

Night even if it comes to staying up, I will finish.

Common mistakes

  1. 버스를 기다렸느니 걸어가는 게 낫겠어요.

    버스를 기다리느니 걸어가는 게 낫겠어요.

    느니 goes on the bare stem. No 았/었.

  2. 이렇게 더우느니 집에 있겠어요.

    이렇게 더울 바에야 집에 있겠어요.

    느니 goes on verbs. ㄹ/을 바에야 can take an adjective.

  3. 굶은 한이 있어도 그 돈은 안 받겠어요.

    굶는 한이 있어도 그 돈은 안 받겠어요.

    This set phrase takes 는.

One sentence in each group is wrong. Tap it.

Check yourself

Quick check

1 / 6

그 사람한테 ___ 혼자 할래요. (부탁하다, use 느니) I'd rather do it alone than ask him.

Straight on the stem.

Summary

느니 forms
DictionaryStem느니
먹다먹먹느니
가다가가느니
살다살사느니
듣다듣듣느니
ㄹ/을 바에야 forms
DictionaryStemㄹ/을 바에야
먹다먹먹을 바에야
가다가갈 바에야
살다살살 바에야
듣다듣들을 바에야
는 한이 있어도 forms
DictionaryStem는 한이 있어도
먹다먹먹는 한이 있어도
가다가가는 한이 있어도
살다살사는 한이 있어도
듣다듣듣는 한이 있어도

Now you can say

  1. 버스를 기다리느니 걸어가는 게 낫겠어요.

    We'd be better off walking than waiting for the bus.

  2. 어차피 할 바에야 제대로 합시다.

    Since we've got to do it anyway, let's do it properly.

  3. 밤을 새우는 한이 있어도 오늘 끝낼 거예요.

    I'll finish this today, even if I have to stay up all night.

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