-(으)ㄹ밖에
(eu)lbakke
Grammar · 1 sense
No Choice But To
Examples
어른들이 다 가시니 나도 갈밖에.
Since all the adults have left, I guess I have to go too.
선생님이 시키는데 할밖에.
The teacher's telling me to do it, so I have to.
주인이 내놓으라면 내놓을밖에.
If the owner tells me to hand it over, I’ll have no choice but to do so.
When you'd hear it
This pattern is common in conversational Korean, especially when someone is resigned to an unavoidable choice. It appears in dramas and everyday speech, and can sound blunt or fatalistic depending on context.
What learners get wrong
Unlike -아/어야 하다, -(으)ㄹ밖에 emphasizes that there is no realistic alternative, not just that something is required. It often follows a situation that leaves the speaker resigned to the outcome.
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