Grammar Advanced TOPIK II · Level 5–6 Advanced Korean 1 · expression

는 말할 것도 없고

는 말할 것도 없고: Not To Mention — A Goes Without Saying

Idiom: the first item goes without saying, and the second is also true (often even more so).

Before this, make sure you know: 은/는 vs 이/가 , -아요 / -어요

How to form it

When	Form	Example
Noun + 은/는 말할 것도 없고	N은/는 말할 것도 없고	영어는 말할 것도 없고 / 값은 말할 것도 없고
Clause colour	…는 말할 것도 없고	재미있는 것은 말할 것도 없고

는/은 말할 것도 없고 means not to mention — A goes without saying, and B too.

Why this is hard

It stacks an obvious point under a stronger one. Learners translate word-for-word and produce stiff calques. Treat the whole chunk as not only the obvious A — B as well.

What it does

You say A is already clear, then add B as further support.

가격은 말할 것도 없고 맛도 좋아요.
영어는 말할 것도 없고 한국어도 해요.
주말은 말할 것도 없고 평일에도 바빠요.
이름도 말할 것도 없고 얼굴도 기억나요.

Forms

N은/는 말할 것도 없고 + further clause. Related -는 것은 말할 것도 없고 appears in longer frames.

When not to use it

Do not build it word-by-word into English word order. Do not use it when A is not the obvious given. Do not confuse it with soft -고 listing only.

Neighbours — and why they differ

Form	Why it is not this slot
-을뿐더러	Not only… but also — ending stack.
-는 데다가	On top of that — another stack.
-고	Plain and — lighter.

Praise and complaint both use the chunk. Keep A as the already-accepted point.

Classroom examples should keep the meaning concrete: one clear scene beats three vague glosses. If a neighbour form already says the same thing more lightly, prefer the lighter tool unless register demands this one.

Ask: am I saying ‘A is obvious, and B too’? If yes, 말할 것도 없고. If you only need light and, use -고.

Do not confuse it with

마저

even — the last one you would expect

까지②

even — reaching further than expected, with less surprise than 마저

-는 데다가

and on top of that — stacking one fact onto another

Taught alongside this

On the jabi learning path, this appears in 표현 (expression) — Advanced Korean 1, Unit 4, on the theme of expression. These come with it:

-는다니1 what are they telling me to…? — asking what the order was -었던 that had been… — past modifier with a lingering sense 에 관하여 regarding, about — the written 에 관하여 / 관한 -자기에 because one decides to… — contracted -자고 하기에 (청유 인용 + 이유), pair of -는다기에 -게 마련이다 bound to be — naturally so (-기/게 마련이다) -게 생겼다 have ended up (badly)… — negative predicament with -게 생기다 -기 나름이다 depends on how you… — the outcome varies with the method -기가 바쁘게 as soon as — barely finishing one thing before the next -기가 쉽다 easy to… / prone to — a tendency that comes naturally -기만 하다 only does… — limiting the action to just that -기에 따라 depending on… — outcomes that change with the condition -기에 앞서(서) before doing… — prior to the step you name -은 나머지 as a result of… — the outcome that follows from that act -는 데다가 and on top of that — stacking one fact onto another -는 동시에 at the same time as — two things in the same moment -는 듯하다 seems to… — a soft guess from appearance -는 법이다 it is natural that… — a general rule of how things go -는 이상 now that / given that — already being in that state -은 채로 while still… — leaving it in the state it already has -는 척하다 pretend to… — acting as if -는 가운데 in the midst of — while that situation continues -을 만하다 worth doing / decent enough — worth the effort or acceptable -을 법하다 likely to… — a reasonable prediction -을 테다 will (for sure) — a strong expectation about what follows -을 테면 if you are going to… — setting a condition for a plan -을 테지만 will, but… — expecting one thing and contrasting another -으려나 보다 I guess they mean to… — reading someone's likely intention 를 가지고 with, using — taking that as the means or topic -으면 몰라도 only if… — the following holds only under that (unreal / opposite) condition 에도 불구하고 despite — in spite of that noun situation -는데도 even though — contrast after a clause, softer than 지만 -어 내다 manage to… — pushing through until it is done -는다기에 because they say… — the reported claim is the reason -는다는 것이 meant to…, but — intention (-는다고 하는 것이) whose result diverged -는데도 불구하고 even so — despite the whole preceding clause

Words used above

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말할 것도 없고malhal geotdo eopgonot to mention…

말할 것도 없다malhal geotdo eopdagoes without saying

영어yeong-eoEnglish

일본어ilboneoJapanese

값gapprice

Quick check

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

1. She handles Japanese too, and English is so obvious you need not bother mentioning it. Which line ranks A as the given and still adds B?

2. Which line uses the forms-table chunk 영어는 말할 것도 없고 before the second skill?

3. You are stacking two clause facts with equal weight — rain, and on top of that wind — that is -는 데다가. For languages, you want ‘English goes without saying, and Japanese too.’ Which fits?

Common questions

Dictionary?

한국어기초사전 말할 것도 없다: definitely so even without saying. Often 말할 것도 없고.

Particle?

Topic 은/는 on the first noun: 영어는 말할 것도 없고…

Vs -는 데다가?

데다가 stacks clauses. 말할 것도 없고 often says A is the obvious one, then B too.

Negative?

Also works: 읽기는 말할 것도 없고 쓰기도 못 해.