Hannip 한입
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Korean Grammar Patterns
-지언정
Meaning
even if… (I'd rather); strong concession
How to use it
Attaches to a verb/adjective stem to express strong, emphatic concession often combined with preference: 'even if (the extreme) X happens, I would still (not) do Y'. The first clause states an undesirable extreme that the speaker would accept, while refusing or affirming the second. It is literary and formal, frequently paired with 차라리 ('rather').
More archaic/literary than -ㄹ망정; strong in proverbs and formal writing.,Often: 차라리 A-ㄹ지언정 B (안) 하다 — 'rather A than B'.
Examples
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 차라리 굶어 죽을지언정 구걸은 하지 않겠다. charari gulmeo jugeuljieonjeong gugeoreun haji anketda. | I would rather starve to death than beg. |
| 손해를 볼지언정 거짓말은 하고 싶지 않아요. sonhaereul boljieonjeong geojinmareun hago sipji anayo. | Even if I take a loss, I don't want to lie. |
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