-(으)ㄹ지언정

even if …, (never …); rather … than …

Level 6 · TOPIK II · advanced

How to use it

The speaker accepts the bad situation in clause 1 and firmly refuses what is in clause 2. Clause 2 is usually negative (-지 않겠다, -(으)ㄹ 수 없다). Formal or written, sounds determined.

Forming it

죽다	→ 죽을지언정
지다	→ 질지언정
가난하다	→ 가난할지언정
거지	→ 거지일지언정

Use -(으)ㄹ지언정 even for present facts; for past add -았/었을지언정: ✗ 실패했지언정 → 실패했을지언정.

Examples

가난할지언정 비굴하게 살고 싶지는 않습니다.
I may be poor, but I don't want to live servilely.
그는 회사를 그만둘지언정 부당한 지시는 따르지 않겠다고 했다.
He said he would rather quit the company than follow unfair orders.

Compared with similar patterns

-(으)ㄹ망정 is almost interchangeable; -(으)ㄹ지언정 sounds a bit more emphatic and written. -느니 and -(으)ㄹ 바에(야) put the rejected option first instead.