Korean grammar patterns › Level 6
-(으)ㄴ들
even if … (it would make no difference) (rhetorical)
Level 6 · TOPIK II · advanced
How to use it
Assumes an action or situation and says it would change nothing. Clause 2 is usually a rhetorical question (무슨 소용이 있겠어요?, …겠어요?) or a negative statement. After nouns, N인들 means 'even N' (누군들, 무엇인들).
Forming it
| 후회하다 | → 후회한들 |
| 울다 | → 운들 |
| 늦다 | → 늦은들 |
| 부자 | → 부자인들 |
Not followed by commands or suggestions: ✗ 후회한들 다시 해 보세요.
Examples
이제 와서 후회한들 무슨 소용이 있겠어요?
What good would it do to regret it now?
그 사람인들 이런 결과를 원했겠어요?
Do you think even he wanted this result?
Compared with similar patterns
-아/어 봤자 is the spoken equivalent ('no point even if'); -더라도 is a neutral 'even if' and can be followed by anything, including commands.