Korean Grammar Patterns

-(으)리

Meaning

Literary will/conjecture -(으)리

How to use it

-(으)리 is a literary/archaic ending expressing the speaker's will or conjecture about the future, like '~할 것이다/~하겠다'. It survives in poetry, proverbs, and set phrases: 가리라 ('I shall go'), 좋으리라 ('it will be good'). Often appears as -(으)리라.

Mostly written/poetic; rare in casual speech.,Often -(으)리라 (will/resolve) or 누구리오 (rhetorical).

Examples

Korean	English
나는 반드시 돌아오리라. naneun bandeusi doraoria.	I shall surely return. (literary resolve)
내일은 날이 맑으리라. naeireun nari malgeuria.	Tomorrow the weather will be clear. (conjecture)

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