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Expressing Ability And Inability In Korean ((으)ㄹ 수 있다/없다)

Written byLee Min-jung (이민정)

In Korean, the grammar structure (으)ㄹ 수 있다/없다 is used to express the ability or inability to do something.

The phrase translates literally as 'is it possible?' or 'is possibility existing?'

Basic Examples

Expressing ability

Can you drive?

Yes, I can drive.

Expressing inability

No, I can't drive.

I can't understand Korean.

Intensifying with 가: (으)ㄹ 수가 있다/없다

You can intensify the expression by adding 가 to it, thereby adding emphasis.

Examples

I really can't swim.

I really can't understand Korean, because Korean people speak very quickly.

Conclusion

The structure (으)ㄹ 수 있다/없다 is a simple but effective way to express your capabilities or limitations in Korean.

By adding 가, you can further emphasize the strength of your statement.

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I can't believe it!: 다니, (이)라니, 냐니

It seems like/I guess/I assume it will...: (으)려나 보다

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Learn how to talk about your skills or lack thereof using (으)ㄹ 수 있다/없다 and its intensified form with 가.

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Lee Min-jung (이민정)

어디든 가치가 있는 곳으로 가려면 지름길은 없다.Learn Korean here.Make sure to subscribe.