Grammar Advanced TOPIK II · Level 5–6 Advanced Grammar Supplement · Curriculum gap

-을지언정

-을지언정: Even If… — Strong Concession

Connective -을지언정 「001」: concede the prior clause strongly in order to affirm the following opposing line — near ‘even if / granted’.

Before this, make sure you know: -아요 / -어요 , -아도 / -어도

How to form it

When	Form	Example
Stem with batchim (not ㄹ)	-을지언정	죽을지언정 / 잃을지언정
Vowel / ㄹ stem	-ㄹ지언정	갈지언정 / 살지언정

-을지언정 concedes then holds the other line — even if….

우리말샘 -을지언정 「001」. Stronger feel than -을망정.

Why this is hard

English even if also covers -더라도, -을지라도, -을망정. Learners pick one and paste. -을지언정 is a connective that admits the hard prior line in order to affirm the sequel — often resolute.

What it does

You grant the cost, then keep your stand.

죽을지언정 포기하지 않겠어요.
가난할지언정 굽히지 않겠어요.
늦을지언정 대충은 안 하겠어요.
혼자일지언정 끝까지 하겠어요.

Forms

죽다 → 죽을지언정
가다 → 갈지언정
하다 → 할지언정
이다 → 일지언정

When not to use it

Do not use it for soft everyday even if.

Do not drop the sequel — the point is the opposing affirmation.

Do not confuse it with pure contrast -지만.

Neighbours — and why they differ

Form	Why it is not this slot
-을망정	Near twin — slightly milder per dictionary note.
-을지라도	Also concession — different connective family.
-더라도	Common spoken concession.

Ask: am I granting a hard cost to affirm the other line? If yes, -을지언정. If soft chat, -더라도 may do.

Do not confuse it with

-을망정

even if / granted — conceding one line and setting the other against it

-을지라도

even if — conceding a strong case and going ahead

-더라도

even if / granting the difficult case (strong concession)

Taught alongside this

On the jabi learning path, this appears in 교재·표준 교육과정 밖의 문법 (Grammar outside of textbooks and standard curriculum) — Advanced Grammar Supplement, Unit 1, on the theme of Curriculum gap. These come with it:

-는 셈이다 amounts to / counts as — treating the situation as that result (-는 셈이다) -을 지경이다 to the point of… — an extreme state or plight (-을 지경이다) -기 십상이다 almost certain to… — nine times out of ten (-기 십상이다) -는 둥 마는 둥 half-doing it — barely, half-heartedly (-는 둥 마는 둥) -던 차에 just when… — at the very moment that was underway (-던 차에) 으로 말미암아 owing to… — formal written cause (으로 말미암아) -는답시고 under the pretext of… — claiming to, often critically (-는답시고) -는가 하면 and then again… — stacking contrasting cases (-는가 하면) -을 겸 while also… — doing it for that purpose too (-을 겸) -게끔 so that… — purpose with a firm push (-게끔) -을 턱이 없다 no reason whatsoever… — denying grounds flatly (-을 턱이 없다) -을 리 만무하다 utterly no chance… — impossibility stressed (-을 리 만무하다) -을 성싶다 seems likely to… — a soft forecast (-을 성싶다) -기 그지없다 endlessly… — extreme degree with no bound (-기 그지없다) -기 이를 데 없다 beyond words… — so much there is no way to say it (-기 이를 데 없다) -다 못해 unable to go on… — past the limit, then the sequel (-다 못해) -는 셈치고 pretending / counting it as… — provisional assumption (-는 셈치고) -는다 뿐이지 only that… — limiting the claim to just that (-는다 뿐이지) -는다손 치더라도 even granting that… — strong concession then pushback (-는다손 치더라도) -어 주십사 please do… for me — earnest old-style request (-어 주십사) -겠거니 thinking it would… — assumption that guides the next act (-겠거니) -으랴 -으랴 what with A and B… — piling pressures or tasks (-으랴 -으랴) -으려던 참이다 was just about to… — intention interrupted at the brink (-으려던 참이다) -는다기보다는 rather than saying… — reframing the label (-는다기보다는) -은 끝에 after all that… — only at the end of the ordeal (-은 끝에) -은 바 있다 have (once)… — formal experience on record (-은 바 있다) -건 간에 whether A or B… — it does not matter which (-건 간에)

Words used above

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-을지언정-euljieonjeongeven if… (strong concession)

-을망정-eulmangjeongeven if… — near neighbour

양보yangboconcession

대립daeripopposition

비록birokeven though

Quick check

No sign-up, no score saved — just see if it stuck.

1. A resolute speech: 'No matter what, I will not give up.' Which sentence grants 'even dying' as the cost and still holds the line?

2. 가다 (vowel stem) before this connective. Forms table: vowel/ㄹ stems → '-ㄹ지언정' (example: 갈지언정). Which sentence shows that correct attachment?

3. Two friends write 'Even if poor, I will not bend.' One sounds casual; one is literary and firm. Which line carries the stronger -을지언정 weight?

Common questions

Dictionary?

우리말샘 -을지언정 「001」: concede the prior opposing fact in order to affirm what follows — near ‘비록 …하지만’.

Vs -을망정?

-을망정 is the near twin; 지언정 is noted as somewhat stronger.

Tone?

Resolute / literary — speeches, strong stands.

Café soft?

더라도 / 어도. Keep 지언정 for the strong concession colour.