Unit 04: Modal Speculation & Plausibility (-(으)ㄹ 법하다, -는 셈이다, -(으)ㄹ 리 만무하다)

🌙 Level 8 · High Advanced Fluency

This unit focuses on advanced epistemic modals: gauging logical likelihood, calculated conclusions, and absolute impossibilities.

1. -(으)ㄹ 법하다 (Plausibility / "Quite likely / Perfectly understandable that...")

Expresses that a situation is entirely plausible, reasonable, or expected given the underlying circumstances.

[Verb/Adj Stem] + -(으)ㄹ 법하다

10년 동안 해외에서 살았으니 한국 문화가 낯설법도 하다.
(Having lived abroad for 10 years, it is quite understandable / plausible that Korean culture feels somewhat unfamiliar.)
그 정도로 철저히 준비했으면 성공할 법한데 뜻밖의 변수가 생겼다.
(Having prepared so thoroughly, it was highly plausible they would succeed, but an unexpected variable arose.)
이제 소식이 올 법한 때가 되었는데 아직 연락이 없다.
(It is around the time news would reasonably be expected to arrive, yet there's still no word.)

Used to summarize or calculate a final outcome, stating that considering all factors, it is virtually the same as X.

열 명 중 아홉 명이 찬성했으니 전원 동의한 셈이다.
(Since 9 out of 10 people voted in favor, it is practically the same as unanimous agreement.)
이번 할인 혜택을 받으면 거의 반값에 산 셈이에요.
(With this discount benefit, you virtually bought it for half price.)
매달 이만큼 저축하면 5년 안에 내 집 마련의 꿈을 이룬 셈이다.
(If we save this much every month, in 5 years we have virtually accomplished the dream of owning a home.)

A high-register, emphatic enhancement of -(으)ㄹ 리가 없다 (萬無: literally "among 10,000 things, none exist").

그 철저한 보안 시스템이 외부 해킹에 뚫렸을 리 만무하다.
(There is virtually zero chance that such a rigorous security system was breached by external hacking.)
당사자의 동의 없이 그런 중대한 결정이 내려졌을 리 만무합니다.
(It is utterly inconceivable that such a critical decision was made without the party's consent.)