-을지라도
-을지라도: Even If — Concede Strongly, Then Proceed
Connective: admit the prior fact (or hypothetical) and state something not bound by it.
How to form it
| When | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Batchim (not ㄹ) | -을지라도 | 먹을지라도 / 믿을지라도 |
| Vowel / ㄹ | -ㄹ지라도 | 갈지라도 / 살지라도 |
| Past | -었을지라도 | 갔을지라도 |
-을지라도 / -ㄹ지라도 means even if — you concede a strong case, then go ahead anyway.
It is a heavy concession connective. English even if / even though both get mapped here; Korean still wants you to feel the “I’ll grant that — and still…” move.
Why this is hard
Learners already know -어도 and -지만. They then treat -을지라도 as a longer twin and miss register: this form is more formal, written, or emphatic than everyday -어도.
It also neighbours -을지라도’s cousins like 아무리 …지라도. The classroom core is concession before persistence, not soft contrast.
What it does
You admit a powerful opposing fact, then refuse to stop.
비가 올지라도 갈 거예요.
돈이 없을지라도 도겠어요.
늦을지라도 꼭 오세요.
어려울지라도 포기하지 마세요.Forms
| Environment | Form |
|---|---|
| Batchim (not ㄹ) | -을지라도 |
| Vowel / ㄹ | -ㄹ지라도 |
When not to use it
Do not replace every casual -어도 in chat with -을지라도 — it can sound stiff or speech-like drama.
Do not use it when you only need soft but (-지만). Concession “even if” ≠ contrast “but.”
Do not drop the second clause. Granting A without what you still do leaves the connective hanging.
Neighbours — and why they differ
| Form | Why it is not this slot |
|---|---|
| -어도 | Everyday even if/though; lighter. |
| -지만 | But contrast, not concession-before-persistence. |
| -는데도 | Even though after a -는데 background clause. |
Ask: am I conceding a strong if/though and still proceeding? If yes, -을지라도. If you need light spoken concession, -어도 is enough.
Do not confuse it with
Taught alongside this
On the jabi learning path, this appears in 연결어미 (conjunctive ending) — Advanced Korean 1, Unit 2, on the theme of conjunctive ending. These come with it:
Words used above
Quick check
No sign-up, no score saved — just see if it stuck.
1. Rain is a real obstacle and you are still going. You want the heavy written concession.
2. You may be late, and you still tell them to come. Which concession is the heavy written one?
3. There may be no money, and you will still challenge it. Which line carries that weight?
Common questions
Dictionary?
우리말샘 -을지라도 「001」: admit the prior fact and continue unbound by it; for future matters, ‘even assuming so’.
Allomorphs?
-을지라도 / -ㄹ지라도 by stem type; past -었을지라도.
Register?
More formal than everyday -어도. Common in writing and careful speech.
Vs -더라도?
-더라도 is also concessive. Learn from paired examples rather than forcing one English gloss.