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Korean Grammar Patterns
-ㄴ들 / -인들
Meaning
even if it were (rhetorical concession)
How to use it
Attaches to nouns (-인들) or verb/adjective stems (-ㄴ들/-은들) to express a rhetorical concession: 'even if it were/did so, would it really matter?' The main clause is typically a rhetorical question implying that the concession changes nothing. It is literary and emphatic, conveying resignation, doubt, or futility.
Nouns take -인들 (e.g. 부자인들); verbs/adjectives take -ㄴ들/-은들 (e.g. 안다 한들).,Often expanded as -ㄴ다(고) 한들 ('even if one says/does…').
Examples
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 지금 후회한들 무슨 소용이 있겠어요? jigeum huhoehandeul museun soyongi itgesseoyo? | Even if you regret it now, what good would it do? |
| 아무리 천재인들 노력 없이 성공할 수 있겠습니까? amuri cheonjaeindeul noryeok eopsi seonggonghal su itgessseumnikka? | Even if one were a genius, could they succeed without effort? |
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