-(으)ㄹ까 말까
(eu)l kka mal kka
Grammar · 1 sense
should I,.. or not, whether to,.. or not
Examples
오늘 학교에 갈까 말까 생각 중이에요.
I'm thinking about whether to go to school today or not.
배가 안 고파서 점심을 먹을까 말까 해요.
I'm wondering whether to eat lunch since I'm not hungry.
나는 차를 살까 말까 장난스럽게 생각하고 있어요.
I'm playfully considering whether to buy a car or not.
When you'd hear it
Common in everyday spoken Korean, including casual conversation and polite speech with 요. It also appears in informal writing such as messages and personal notes when describing a current decision.
What learners get wrong
Do not confuse it with -(으)ㄹ까, which can simply ask or suggest something. The added 말까 makes the alternative of not doing it explicit.
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