Hannip 한입
Open the app
Korean Grammar Patterns
-느니
Meaning
rather than (doing)
How to use it
Attaches to a verb stem to compare two undesirable options and reject the first in favor of the second: 'rather than doing X, (I'd sooner) do Y'. Both options are usually unpleasant, and the speaker prefers the second as the lesser evil. It is often paired with 차라리 and followed by a statement of preference or resolve.
Common pattern: A-느니 (차라리) B-겠다 ('rather than A, I'd B').,Only with verbs; the second option is presented as preferable.
Examples
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 그 사람한테 부탁하느니 차라리 내가 하고 말겠어요. geu saramhante butakhaneuni charari naega hago malgesseoyo. | Rather than ask that person, I'd just do it myself. |
| 이렇게 괴롭게 사느니 차라리 그만두는 게 낫겠어요. ireoke goeropge saneuni charari geumanduneun ge natgesseoyo. | Rather than living in such misery, it'd be better to just quit. |
한입 Hannip — learn Korean one bite a day
This entry (and hundreds more) is in the Hannip app with native pronunciation, quizzes and translations in English, 한국어, 日本語, 中文, Tiếng Việt and ไทย.
Start learning free →