3 · Sentence endings with attitude
Might: -(으)ㄹ지도 모르다
a possibility, not a forecast
“Might”: a weak possibility, often something worth preparing for.
The ending -을지, “whether”, takes 도, “even”, and is followed by 모르다, “not to know”. After a consonant it is -을지도 (있을지도 몰라요), after a vowel an l on the last syllable (올지도 몰라요), and a stem in rieul adds only 지도 (만들지도 몰라요). After a noun it is 일지도: 학생일지도 몰라요.
Word for word, 비가 올지도 몰라요 says “I don't even know whether it will rain” — that is, it might. The possibility is real but weak, weaker than 올 것 같아요, “it looks like it will”, and much weaker than 올 거예요, “it will”. It is typically a reason to prepare, and is then followed by -(으)니까: 비가 올지도 모르니까 우산을 가져가세요.
For something that may already have happened, the past goes before the ending: 벌써 떠났을지도 몰라요, “they might have left already”. The negative goes on the first verb: 안 올지도 몰라요, “he might not come”. 모르다 conjugates as a -르다 verb: 몰라요, but 모릅니다 and 모르니까.
Two things trip English speakers up. -을지도 is one piece written onto the verb, with the space only before 모르다: 올지도 몰라요, never 올 지도 몰라요. And the 도 matters: 올지 몰라요 without it usually means “I don't know whether he'll come”, a statement of ignorance rather than of possibility.
The form
| after a vowel | 오다 → 올지도 몰라요 |
| after a consonant | 있다 → 있을지도 몰라요 |
| past | 떠나다 → 떠났을지도 몰라요 |
| after a noun | 학생일지도 몰라요 |
| negative | 안 올지도 몰라요 |
| formal | 있을지도 모릅니다 |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is aboutThe word that calls for it
-을지도 is written onto the verb, and 모르다 follows after a space.
내일은 눈이 올지도 몰라요.It might snow tomorrow.
It is a weaker possibility than -을 것 같다.
어쩌면 그분이 벌써 아실지도 몰라요.She might already know.
It is often a reason to be prepared, followed by -(으)니까.
길이 막힐지도 모르니까 일찍 출발해요.The roads might be busy, so let's leave early.
For something that may already have happened, the past stands before it.
지금 가면 가게가 벌써 문을 닫았을지도 몰라요.If we go now, the shop might already have closed.
A closer look
How sure: a small scale
From most to least certain: 올 거예요, “he will come”; 올 것 같아요, “it looks like he will”; 올지도 몰라요, “he might”. 올 수도 있어요, “he could”, sits close to the last and sounds more matter-of-fact, as a possibility that cannot be ruled out.
Without 도, -을지 모르다 usually states that you do not know: 그 사람이 올지 몰라요, “I don't know whether he'll come”. With a question word it becomes “you never know”: 언제 비가 올지 몰라요, “you never know when it will rain”.
Exceptions and special cases (1)
-
the verb is 모르다 itself
it changes like every verb in -르다: 몰라요, 몰랐어요, but 모릅니다 and 모르니까.
제가 좀 늦게 갈지도 모르니까 먼저 드세요.I might be late, so please start without me.
The doubled rieul only appears before -아/어.
How to spot it
- -을지도 몰라요
- 어쩌면
- 혹시
- -을지도 모르니까
Example sentences
오후에 비가 올지도 몰라요. 우산 가져가세요.It might rain in the afternoon. Take an umbrella.
어쩌면 다음 달에 서울로 이사 갈지도 몰라요.I might move to Seoul next month.
그 식당은 주말에 자리가 없을지도 몰라요.That restaurant might not have a table at the weekend.
민수 씨가 아직 그 소식을 못 들었을지도 몰라요.Minsu might not have heard the news yet.
추울지도 모르니까 따뜻한 옷을 챙기세요.It might be cold, so take something warm to wear.
이 길이 더 빠를지도 몰라요.This road might be quicker.
7 more example sentences
그 사람은 오늘 안 올지도 몰라요.He might not come today.
이 옷은 저한테 좀 작을지도 몰라요.This might be a bit small for me.
열쇠를 차에 두고 왔을지도 몰라요.I might have left the keys in the car.
내일은 바빠서 연락을 못 할지도 몰라요.I'm busy tomorrow, so I might not be able to get in touch.
표가 다 팔렸을지도 모르니까 미리 확인해 보세요.The tickets might have sold out, so check in advance.
어쩌면 그게 정답일지도 몰라요.That might be the right answer.
나중에 필요할지도 모르니까 버리지 마세요.You might need it later, so don't throw it away.
Worth knowing (1)
-
Formal and intimate
In formal speech the pattern ends in -을지도 모릅니다, in writing -을지도 모른다, and among friends -을지도 몰라.
오늘 회의가 조금 늦게 끝날지도 모릅니다.Today's meeting may finish a little late.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
-을지 is an ending, not a word of its own, so it is written onto the verb together with 도: 어려울지도. The only space comes before 모르다. This is a slip Koreans make in writing too, because 할 수 and 할 것 do take a space.
Might is -(eu)ljido mollayo: the ending stays on the verb, mollayo stands apart.
Your turn
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