Lesson 133: For there to be no way ~ㄹ/을 리가 없다

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Vocabulary
Introduction

For There to be No Way that Something is True

Vocabulary

Nouns:
절차 = procedure, process

Common Usages:
절차를 따르다 = to follow policy
절차 대로 하다 = to go according to policy

Examples:
이 일을 그 절차대로 하면 못 끝낼 리가 없어요
= If you do this job according to procedure, there is no way you can’t finish it

절차를 따라서 문제를 해결할 수 있어요
= You can solve the problem by following the procedure

원유 = crude oil

Common Usages:
원유값 = price of crude oil

Examples:
원유는 기름을 만들기 위한 원자재입니다
= Crude oil is a raw material for making oil

원유 값이 작년처럼 떨어질 리가 없어요
= There is no way that the price of oil will drop like last year

꼬마 = little kid

Examples:
한 꼬마는 슈퍼에서 물건을 훔치고 잽싸게 도망갔다
= Some little boy stole an item from the supermarket and then swiftly ran away

그 꼬마가 이 동화를 안 좋아할 리가 없어요
= There is no way that kid doesn’t like this story

뚜껑 = lid

Common Usages:
냄비뚜껑 = lid for a pot

Examples:
뚜껑이 그냥 다 없어질 리가 없어요
= There is no way that the lid just disappeared

뚜껑을 열어서 안을 확인해 보았습니다
= I opened the lid to check inside

작동 = expand title=”the operation of a machine[” trigclass=”noarrow”]

Common Usages:
오작동 = malfunction

Examples:
기계의 작동 방법을 알고 있어야 해요
= You need to know how the machine operates

그 가게에서 항상 CCTV가 작동 중이라서 범죄자를 못 잡을 리가 없어요
= There is always surveillance running at that store, so there is no way that they don’t catch the criminal[/expand]

제자 = pupil, disciple

Common Usages:
애제자 = favorite student
제자로 삼다 = to take on a pupil

Examples:
그 선생님은 제자들을 훌륭하게 가르치고 있어요
= The teacher is teaching his disciples excellently

선생님이 자기 제자를 용서할 리가 없어요
= There is no way that the teacher will forgive his pupil

편도 = a one-way trip

Common Usages:
편도티켓 = one-way ticket
편도비행기표 = one-way airplane ticket

Examples:
이 여행은 편도로 예약되었기 때문에 돌아올 표도 사야 돼요
= This trip is booked as a one-way trip, so you need to buy a ticket for the return

왕복 비행기표가 편도보다 더 쌀 리가 없어요. 한번 더 조회해 보세요
= There is no way that a return ticket is more expensive than a one-way ticket. Try inquiring/looking into it again

왕복 = a return trip

Common Usages:
왕복티켓 = return ticket
왕복 비행기표 = return airplane ticket

Examples:
왕복 티켓을 예약하여 여행을 준비했어요
= I booked a round-trip ticket to prepare for the journey

초반 = the first half

Common Usages:
20대초반 = early twenties (in age)
30대초반 = early thirties (in age)

Examples:
이 소설은 초반은 빠르게 전개되고 후반에는 긴장감이 고조돼요
= This novel develops quickly in the first half and tension rises in the second half

그 사람이 나이가 많아 보이는데 30대 초반일 리가 없어요
= That person looks old; there is no way that he is in his early thirties

후반 = the second half

Common Usages:
40대후반 = late forties (in age)
50대후반 = late fifties (in age)

Examples:
20대 후반이 되면 많은 사람들이 임신을 해요
= Many people in their late 20s get pregnant

이 소설은 초반은 빠르게 전개되고 후반에는 긴장감이 고조돼요
= This novel develops quickly in the first half and tension rises in the second half

그 팀이 후반에 역전시킬 길이 없어요
= There is no way for us to come back in the second half

동화 = children’s story

Common Usages:
동화책 = children’s story book
동화 같은 이야기 = a fairy-tale like story

Example:
현실에서는 동화 같은 이야기는 잘 일어나지 않아요
= Fairy tales like children’s book do not happen in real life

밥값 = money for food, the price of food

Common Usages:
점심밥값 = lunch money
저녁밥값 = dinner money

Examples:
이 레스토랑의 밥값은 합리적이라서 인기가 많아요
= The price of food at this restaurant is reasonable, so it’s very popular

그 사람이 지난 달에 취업하니 밥값을 못 낼 리가 없어요
= That person got a job last month, there is no way that he can’t pay for food (have enough money to put food on the plate)

인물 = character, figure

Common Usages:
인물이 좋다 = to be good looking
인물이 훤하다 = to be good looking

Examples:
드라마에서 그렇게 중요한 역할을 하는 인물이 죽을 리가 없다
= There is no way a character with such an important role can die in a drama

이 소설의 인물 구성은 다른 작품들과는 매우 다르기 때문에 인물에 더 집중을 해서 읽어야 해요
= Since this novel’s character formation is so different from other works, it’s necessary to read it with more concentration and focus on the character

이순신 장군은 한국에서 가장 유명한 장군으로서 모든 사람이 존경하는 인물이다
= Yi Sun Shin is the figure/person respected by all as the most famous general in Korea

맞춤법 = spelling

Common Usages:
맞춤법 검사 = spell check

Examples:
한국어의 맞춤법을 잘 지키는 것은 중요해요
= It’s important to adhere to proper spelling in Korean

저는 한국인인데 고등학교를 캐나다에서 다녀서 한국어 맞춤법을 배운 적이 없어요
= I am Korean, but I attended high school in Canada so I never learned Korean spelling

Verbs:
훑다 = to skim through

Common Usages:
대충 훑다 = to roughly skim through
대략적으로 훑다 = to roughly skim through

Examples:
책을 훑어서 내용을 빠르게 파악하려고 해요
= I’m skimming through the book to quickly grasp the content

그 학생이 내용을 아주 대충 훑어서 다 외울 리가 없어요
= That student looked over the contents very “half-assed,” there is no way he memorized it all

물리다 = to be bitten by

Common Usages:
모기에 물리다 = to be bitten by a mosquito
벌레에 물리다 = to be bitten by a bug

Examples:
이 뱀은 맹독이 있으므로 물리면 바로 병원에 가서 치료를 받아야 합니다
= This snake has venom, so if you get bit, you should go to the hospital immediately and receive treatment

몇몇 뱀은 독성이 강해서 물리면 죽을 수도 있어요
= Some snakes have a high toxicity (are highly toxic), so if bitten, a person could even die

접속하다 = to gain access

Examples:
저는 암호를 몰라서 이 컴퓨터에 접속할 수 없어요
= I don’t know the password, so I can’t access this computer

이 웹사이트에 접속하여 정보를 확인할 수 있어요
= You can gain access to information by logging into this website

순찰하다 = to patrol

Examples:
경비 아저씨가 지금 순찰 중이에요
= The guard/watchman is patrolling (doing his rounds of checks)

경찰은 도시를 순찰하여 사람들의 안전을 지켜요
= The police patrol the city to maintain safety of people

용서하다 = to forgive

Examples:
이번에도 우리를 배신하면 더 이상 용서하지 않을 거예요
= If you betray us this time as well, we won’t forgive you anymore

선생님이 자기 제자를 용서할 리가 없어요
= There is no way that the teacher will forgive his pupil

후원하다 = to sponsor

Common Usages:
후원자 = a sponsor
후원물품 = sponsored product

Examples:
그 기관은 소외된 계층을 후원하면서 사회에 기여하고 있어요
= The organization sponsors marginalized groups and contributes to society

삼성이 이 축제를 후원해서 돈이 부족할 리가 없어요
= Samsung is sponsoring this event, so there is no way money can run out

조회하다 = to inquire

Common Usages:
번호를 조회하다 = to inquire for a number
개인정보를 조회하다 = to inquire for personal information

Examples:
제 개인정보를 조회해보았지만 아무것도 찾을 수 없었어요
= I inquired for my personal information but I couldn’t find anything

왕복 비행기표가 편도보다 더 쌀 리가 없어요. 한번 더 조회해 보세요
= There is no way that a return ticket is more expensive than a one-way ticket. Try inquiring/looking into it again.

역전하다 = to come from behind

Common Usages:
짜릿하게 역전하다 = to come from behind in thrilling fashion

Examples:
그 팀이 후반에 역전시킬 길이 없어요
= There is no way for us to come back in the second half

야구 경기에서 팀이 역전하여 승리했어요
= The team came from behind and won the baseball game

취업하다 = to find a job/be employed

Common Usages:
취업자 = a person with a job
취업시장 = employment market

Examples:
한국에 젊은이들은 취업을 하기 위해 많은 자격증을 따요
= Young people in Korea obtain a lot of certificates to get hired

그 친구의 아버지가 회사 사장이기 때문에 그 친구의 취업은 보장되어 있어요
= That person’s father is the president of the company, so his/her getting a job is guaranteed

3년 동안 취업하려고 했는데 일자리가 아예 없어서 입대했지 뭐
= I tried for three years to get a job, but there just aren’t any positions so I had to join the army

착각하다 = to mistake A for B

Examples:
가끔 사람들이 저의 뒷모습을 보고 여자가 아니라 남자라고 착각해요
= Sometimes when people see me from behind they think (mistake me for) I am man and not a woman

상어는 사람을 무는 이유는 사람을 대부분 물개로 착각하기 때문이에요
= The reason why sharks bite humans is mostly because they mistake them/us for seals

그 두 명이 아주 다르게 생겨서 사람들이 착각할 리가 없어요
= Those two look very different, so there is no way that people will mistake them (for each other)

Adjectives:
동그랗다 = to be round, to be spherical

This word follows the ㅎ irregular.

Example:
이 공원에는 동그란 모양의 작은 연못이 있어요
= There is a small round pond in this park

우리 집 근처에 있는 공원에는 동그랗게 모양 잡힌 작은 연못이 있어요
= There is a small round-shaped pond in the park near our house

Adverbs and Other Words:
대 = indicates the age of somebody by decade

Common Usages:
십대 = teenage years, teenage
이십대 = one’s twenties

Examples:
20대 후반이 되면 많은 사람들이 임신을 해요
= Many people in their late 20s get pregnant

그 사람이 나이가 많아 보이는데 30대초반일 리가 없어요
= That person looks old; there is no way that he is in his early thirties

어느덧 시간이 흘러 30대가 되었어요
= Time flew by, and now I am in my 30’s

새로 = newly, anew

Examples:
새로 산 반지가 매우 반짝거려요
= The new ring I bought is very shiny

새로 산 집이 너무 좁아서 맨날 답답해요
= I feel stuffy/cramped every day at my new house because it is so small

새로 지어진 건물이 멋있어요
= The newly built building is really cool/stylish

새로 지어진 공원에 운동 시설이 매우 좋아서 많은 사람들이 거기에서 운동을 해요
= The newly built park has very good exercise facilities so many people exercise there

나쁜 점이 있다면 잡지에 나온 새로 나온 화장품을 바로 사고 싶은 것이다
= If there is one bad thing, it is that, when there is (an ad for) a new make-up product in the magazine, I want to buy it immediately

새로 생긴 대중교통으로 인해 그 도시의 인구가 갑자기 증가하게 되었어요
= Due to the newly built mass transportation (system), that city’s population ended up

새로 산 신발을 신고 나왔는데 하필 산길을 걸어서 신발이 더러워졌어
= I bought some new shoes and came outside and, of all places, walked on a mountain trail so my shoes got all dirty

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Introduction

In this lesson, you will learn the meaning that is created when 리 is described as a noun. Let’s get started.

For There to be No Way that Something is True

In previous lessons, you have learned many nouns that can only be used when described by an adjective or verb. I often call these “pseudo-nouns” because they cannot be used on their own like regular nouns. Examples of these pseudo-nouns that you have learned in previous lessons are 수 (Lesson 45) and 적 (Lesson 32). For example:

저는 암호를 몰라서 이 컴퓨터에 접속할 수 없어요
= I don’t know the password, so I can’t access this computer

저는 한국인인데 고등학교를 캐나다에서 다녀서 한국어 맞춤법을 배운 적이 없어요
= I am Korean, but I attended high school in Canada so I never learned Korean spelling

In the sentences above 수 and 적 are nouns, but there are nouns that can only be used when described. As these nouns are always found as part of a larger construction and not by themselves, it is often difficult to translate the nouns by themselves. However, a translation of 수 could be “ability” and a translation of 적 could be “experience.”

리 is another one of these nouns that must be described and is not used on its own. Therefore, again, it is often hard to give it a translation when used on its own.

Let me describe the meaning of 리 (and its usage) with a story. I teach at a high school in Korea, and all of the students know that I can speak Korean (although, I pretend I can’t for the first six months when the new freshmen come every year). Our school recently hired another foreign teacher, and apparently he can speak Korean as well. Some of the kids would say:

새로 오시는 선생님이 윌 선생님보다 한국말을 더 잘해요
= The new teacher (who is coming) is better at Korean than “Will teacher”

In response to that, I would hear other students say:

윌 선생님보다 잘할 리가 없어요

Let me explain what this means.

These students are saying that there is no way that the phrase describing 리 is true. Even though they don’t have the appropriate and specific evidence to make this claim for sure, their prior experience or knowledge relating to this is sufficient enough for them to know what is possible, and what isn’t possible.

In this situation, the speaker of the sentence “윌 선생님보다 잘할 리가 없어요” probably hasn’t met the new teacher (and therefore doesn’t really know for sure if his Korean is really good or not), but he/she would have experience or knowledge relating to the situation that would allow him/her to make this claim. In this case, the students know that I speak Korean, and they know that I speak Korean really well. Really well. Their knowledge of this would allow them to say:

윌 선생님보다 잘할 리가 없어요
= There is no way he is better than “Will teacher.”

A common translation for this type of sentence (as you can see in the example above) is “there is no way that…” However, make sure you realize that these sentences are indicating that some claim cannot be true.” Be sure to not confuse this type of sentence with sentences containing 길, which you learned in Lesson 113. For example:

그 팀이 후반에 역전시킬 길이 없어요
= There is no way for us to come back in the second half

Notice the “there is no way…” English translation. When using “길,” the speaker is indicating that there is no method or way to do something. When the speaker says the sentence above, the team is probably being outplayed and losing badly.

To make the English translation more clear, it might be better to translate sentences with 리 to “it can’t be true that…” Regardless, I always suggest that you understand the meaning of the Korean sentences, and pay less attention to their respective ambiguous English translations.

—————

In Lesson 23 you learned about 그렇다, and in many later lessons you learned how various grammatical principles can be applied to it.

It is common for 그렇다 to describe 리 to form 그럴 리가 없다. When some situation is being discussed, you can use this construction to indicate that “it can’t be true.” For example:

Person 1: 경비 아저씨가 지금 순찰 중이에요
= The guard/watchman is patrolling (doing his rounds of checks)

Person 2: 이렇게 이른 아침에 그럴 리가 없는데요
= At this time, this early, that can’t be true

—————-

Below are many more examples:

뚜껑이 그냥 다 없어질 리가 없어요
= There is no way that the lid just disappeared

원유 값이 작년처럼 떨어질 리가 없어요
= There is no way that the price of oil will drop like last year

선생님이 자기 제자를 용서할 리가 없어요
= There is no way that the teacher will forgive his pupil

점심으로 많이 먹고 또 벌써 배고플 리가 없어요
= After eating a lot for lunch, there is no way that you can be hungry again

삼성이 이 축제를 후원해서 돈이 부족할 리가 없어요
= Samsung is sponsoring this event, so there is no way money can run out

매일 열심히 운동을 하는데 그렇게 아플 리가 없어요
= You exercise every day – there is no way that you can be that sick

그 학생이 내용을 아주 대충 훑어서 다 외울 리가 없어요
= That student looked over the contents very “half-assed,” there is no way he memorized it all

그 사람이 나이가 많아 보이는데 30대 초반일 리가 없어요
= That person looks old; there is no way that he is in his early thirties

그 두 명이 아주 다르게 생겨서 사람들이 착각할 리가 없어요
= Those two look very different, so there is no way that people will mistake them (for each other)

드라마에서 그렇게 중요한 역할을 하는 인물이 죽을 리가 없다
= There is no way a character with such an important role can die in a drama

—————-

It sounds counter-intuitive to English speakers, but it is also possible to describe 리 with a negative. In English (and I guess technically in Korean too), this creates a double negative. For example:

이 약을 바르면 모기에 물릴 리가 없어요
= If you apply this medicine (repellent), there is no way you can get bit by mosquitoes

그 꼬마가 이 동화를 안 좋아할 리가 없어요
= There is no way that kid doesn’t like this story

이 일을 그 절차대로 하면 못 끝낼 리가 없어요
= If you do this job according to procedure, there is no way you can’t finish it

공부를 많이 해서 그 학생이 시험을 못 볼 리가 없어요
= That student studied a lot, so there is no way that he did poorly on the exam

우주에 그렇게 많은 행성이 있는데 외계인이 없을 리가 없어요
= There are so many planets in the universe, there is no way that there are no aliens
= It can’t be true that there are no aliens when there are that many planets in the universe

그 가게에서 항상 CCTV가 작동 중이라서 범죄자를 못 잡을 리가 없어요
= There is always surveillance running at that store, so there is no way that they don’t catch the criminal

That’s it for this lesson!

How about testing your knowledge on what you learned in the past 8 lessons with our Lessons 126 – 133 Mini-Test.

No test today? Then how about browsing through the next set of lessons (Lessons 134 – 141).

Or, go directly to Lesson 134!