Korean grammar patterns › Level 5
-(으)ㄹ 줄이야
who would have thought …! (surprise at the unexpected)
Level 5 · TOPIK II · advanced
How to use it
Expresses strong surprise that something unexpected actually happened. Can end the sentence (-(으)ㄹ 줄이야!) or be followed by 몰랐다 / 누가 알았겠어요?
Forming it
| 합격하다 | → 합격할 줄이야 |
| 이기다 | → 이길 줄이야 |
| 오다 | → 올 줄이야 |
| 범인 | → 범인일 줄이야 |
Used about something that already turned out to be true, not for guesses about the future.
Examples
그 사람이 범인일 줄이야 누가 알았겠어요?
Who would have known that person was the culprit?
이렇게 빨리 합격할 줄이야!
I can't believe I passed so quickly!
Compared with similar patterns
-(으)ㄴ/는 줄 몰랐다 neutrally says 'I didn't know that'; -(으)ㄹ 줄이야 adds an exclamation of surprise or shock.