Easy Korean Level 4 - Unit 3: It can't be... / -(으)ㄹ 리가 없어요

In this lesson, we learn how to say "It can't be..." or "There is no way that..." in Korean.

The structure is: -(으)ㄹ 리가 없어요

What does "리" mean?

"리" (理) means "reason," "logic," or "possibility." So literally, this grammar point means "There is no reason/possibility that..."

Conjugation Rules

• Verb/Adjective stems ending in a vowel: Add -ㄹ 리가 없어요
• 가다 -> 갈 리가 없어요
• 크다 -> 클 리가 없어요
• Verb/Adjective stems ending in a consonant: Add -을 리가 없어요
• 먹다 -> 먹을 리가 없어요
• 작다 -> 작을 리가 없어요
• Verb stems ending in ㄹ: Add -리가 없어요
• 알다 -> 알 리가 없어요

Examples

1. 그럴 리가 없어요!
2. That can't be! / There's no way that's true!

3. (From 그렇다 = to be so)

4. 안 오다 (not come)

5. 민수 씨가 안 올 리가 없어요.

6. There's no way Minsu isn't coming. / It can't be that Minsu won't come.

7. 모르다 (to not know)

8. 그 사람이 이 사실을 모를 리가 없어요.

9. There's no way that person doesn't know this fact.

10. 어렵다 (to be difficult - ㅂ irregular)

11. 이 시험이 어려울 리가 없어요. 아주 쉬워요.
12. There's no way this test is difficult. It's very easy.

Past Tense

To use this with the past tense, attach it to the past tense suffix -았/었/였. - 가다 -> 갔을 리가 없어요 (There is no way he/she went.) - 하다 -> 했을 리가 없어요 (There is no way he/she did it.)