-느니①
-느니①: Rather B Than A — Preferring the Latter
Connective: prefer the following situation over the preceding one (비교).
How to form it
| When | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb / 있다·없다 | -느니 | 가느니 / 있느니 / 없느니 |
| With 보다 | -느니 …보다 / -느니 …(이)다 | 죽느니 살자 / 가느니 차라리 쉬어요 |
-느니① means rather B than A — you compare two options and prefer the latter.
Classroom gloss: choosing the second path over the first. It is not the hearsay -느니 family learners meet elsewhere; this slot is the preference connective.
Why this is hard
English rather than is clear; Korean -느니 feels abrupt until you hear the second half. Learners stop after A and wonder where the preference went. The pattern wants A느니 B — often with 차라리 in the air even when unspoken.
It is also easy to confuse with quotation / hearsay-looking forms. Stick to the preference job on this page.
What it does
You reject A as worse, and pick B.
기다리느니 걸어갈게요.
사느니 빌려 쓸게요.
혼자 가느니 다음에 같이 가요.
불평하느니 고치는 게 나아요.Forms
Action stem + -느니 + preferred alternative.
When not to use it
Do not use it for soft “A is okay, B is okay too” lists — that is choice listing (이라든가, -거나), not preference.
Do not leave B off. -느니 without the preferred option feels unfinished.
Do not force it into polite essay style when a calmer “B가 나아요” already does the job — -느니 can sound sharp or proverbial.
Neighbours — and why they differ
| Form | Why it is not this slot |
|---|---|
| -거나 | A or B options, not “B over A.” |
| 보다 | Comparison particle / pattern; different shape. |
| -으면 | If condition, not preference ranking. |
Ask: am I saying I’d rather do B than A? If yes, -느니. If you only list options, use -거나 or 이라든가.
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. Between dying and living, you pick living — preference for the latter, not a soft ‘either is fine’. Which line?
2. Going out loses to resting — forms-table line with 차라리. Which?
3. You would rather rest than go — comparative preference, not listing chatter with paired -느니 -느니. Which line?
Common questions
Dictionary?
우리말샘 -느니 「001」: prefer the following state over the preceding; 보다 may attach.
차라리?
Often pairs: 가느니 차라리 집에 있어요.
Other -느니 senses?
「002」 listing chatter; 「003」 ending. This slot is comparative choice.
Vs -는 대신에?
-는 대신에 replaces; -느니 compares preference.