Korean grammar patterns › Level 4
-(으)ㄹ까 말까
whether or not to … (hesitating)
Level 4 · TOPIK II · intermediate
How to use it
Shows the speaker hesitating between doing and not doing something. Followed by 하다, 고민하다, 망설이다, 생각하다.
Forming it
| 가다 | → 갈까 말까 |
| 먹다 | → 먹을까 말까 |
| 사다 | → 살까 말까 |
| 듣다 | → 들을까 말까 |
Examples
이 옷을 살까 말까 고민 중이에요.
I'm debating whether or not to buy these clothes.
모임에 갈까 말까 하다가 결국 안 갔어요.
I went back and forth about going to the gathering, and in the end I didn't go.
Compared with similar patterns
-(으)ㄹ까 하다 (G2-011) is a tentative plan to do it; -(으)ㄹ까 말까 shows indecision between doing it and not.