-거나 vs -든지: What Is the Difference?

Key facts

• -거나 joins verbs, adjectives or 이다 with a neutral "or" and keeps each option as a real possibility.
• -든지 means "or" and also "no matter which." It signals that the choice does not matter.
• Only -든지 pairs naturally with question words: 뭐든지 (anything), 언제든지 (anytime), 어디든지 (anywhere).
• For nouns, use (이)나, not -거나: 커피나 차 (coffee or tea).
• Do not confuse -든지 with -던지. They have different meanings and different spellings.

What you'll learn

• Choose -거나 or -든지 for five test sentences and state the deciding rule in one sentence.
• Attach both endings to verbs, including verbs with ㄹ, ㄷ and ㅂ stems.
• Use -든지 with question words to say "anything," "anytime" and "anywhere."
• Avoid the spelling mix-up between -든지 and -던지.

Before you start: you should know how to form a verb stem and the polite ending -아요/-어요. If you want the full rules for each pattern first, read -거나 and -든지.

What Is the Difference between -거나 and -든지?

The difference is in what the speaker means by "or." With -거나, the speaker lists options and says that one of them happens or may happen. With -든지, the speaker says that it makes no difference which option is chosen. English has the same split: "I watch a movie or rest" (-거나) versus "Watch a movie or rest, whichever you like" (-든지).

Two sentences show the contrast:

• 주말에는 영화를 보거나 쉬어요. (jumareneun yeonghwareul bogeona swieoyo.) = "On weekends I watch a movie or rest." This describes what the speaker really does.
• 커피를 마시든지 차를 마시든지 하세요. (keopireul masideunji chareul masideunji haseyo.) = "Have coffee or tea, whichever." The speaker does not care which one the listener picks.

Both sentences contain "or," but only the second one gives the listener full freedom. The next section puts the two patterns into a table.

-거나 vs -든지: Side-by-Side Table

The table lists the points learners need most. Each row gives one answer for each pattern.

The table shows that both patterns say "or," but they differ in attitude and in what they can combine with. Each one gets its own close look next.

When Do You Use -거나?

Use -거나 when you list things that happen or may happen, without any comment on how much they matter. It is the neutral "or" of everyday speech. It fits habits, plans and descriptions.

• 주말에 책을 읽거나 운동해요. (jumare chaegeul ilgeona undonghaeyo.) = "On weekends I read a book or exercise." The word 읽거나 sounds like [일꺼나].
• 아침에는 빵을 먹거나 커피만 마셔요. (achimeneun ppangeul meokgeona keopiman masyeoyo.) = "In the morning I eat bread or just drink coffee." The word 먹거나 sounds like [먹꺼나].

To build it, remove 다 from the dictionary form and add 거나. The stem never changes, so irregular stems stay simple here:

The ㄹ, ㄷ and ㅂ changes that you see before vowels (노세요, 들어요, 도와요) do not happen before 거나, because 거나 starts with a consonant. Tense and the honorific usually go on the last verb only: 주말에 영화를 보거나 쉬었어요 is the normal way to talk about last weekend.

The form is easy to build, and it has one more job. It can also join nouns through 이다: 그 사람은 학생이거나 직장인일 거예요 (geu sarameun haksaengigeona jikjanginil geoyeyo) = "He or she is probably a student or an office worker." With plain nouns that name things, Korean uses (이)나, as in 커피나 차를 마셔요. First, look at the second pattern.

When Do You Use -든지?

Use -든지 when the speaker means "whichever" or "no matter." It often comes in pairs, one on each option, and it is frequently followed by a sentence like 하세요 (do either) or 상관없어요 (it doesn't matter).

• 가든지 말든지 마음대로 하세요. (gadeunji maldeunji maeumdaero haseyo.) = "Go or don't, do as you like."
• 뭘 먹든지 상관없어요. (mwol meokdeunji sanggwaneopseoyo.) = "It doesn't matter what you eat." The word 먹든지 sounds like [먹뜬지], and 상관없어요 sounds like [상과넙써요].

With question words. Add -(이)든지 to a question word to say "any": 누구든지 (anyone), 언제든지 (anytime), 어디든지 (anywhere), 무엇이든지 or 뭐든지 (anything). 언제든지 전화하세요 (eonjedeunji jeonhwahaseyo) = "Call me anytime."

Shortened form. In speech -든지 often becomes -든, as in 가든 말든 상관없어요. Both mean the same.

Most learners find the build easy and the meaning harder, so the next section shows how the two patterns can sit together.

Worked Example: from a Plain Sentence to -든지

Here is how one sentence changes when you move from a neutral list to a free choice. Start with "I eat kimchi" and follow the steps.

1. Start with the neutral list. 저는 점심에 김치찌개를 먹거나 비빔밥을 먹어요. (jeoneun jeomsime gimchijjigaereul meokgeona bibimbabeul meogeoyo.) = "At lunch I eat kimchi stew or bibimbap." Both dishes are real habits.
2. Decide what you want to say instead. Imagine a friend asks where to eat, and you do not mind. You want to say "I'll eat anything."
3. Swap the pair for a question word. Replace the two dishes with 뭐 (what) and add -든지: 뭐든지 먹어요 (mwodeunji meogeoyo) = "I eat anything."
4. Add the closing phrase. To answer the friend, say 뭘 먹든지 괜찮아요 (mwol meokdeunji gwaenchanayo) = "Whatever we eat is fine."

You will know it worked when the sentence no longer lists dishes and instead says that the choice is open. The most common slip at this step is keeping -거나 with 뭐. 뭘 먹거나 괜찮아요 does not sound natural, because -거나 wants real options and 뭐 is open-ended.

Can You Use Both in the Same Sentence?

You can use both in one passage, but they do different jobs. A natural example: 주말에는 영화를 보거나 쉬어요. 뭘 하든지 괜찮아요. The first sentence lists what happens, and the second says that the choice does not matter.

There is one real overlap. Both patterns can be used in the "whether ... or not" frame: 가거나 말거나 and 가든지 말든지 both mean "whether you go or not." In this frame, -든지 is the more common choice, and the two are nearly interchangeable. This is the only place where swapping them rarely changes the meaning.

Outside that frame, swapping changes the message. 커피를 마시거나 차를 마셔요 tells a listener what you usually drink, while 커피를 마시든지 차를 마시든지 해요 sounds as if you are saying "I drink either one, I don't mind." The situations are different, so the next section gives a clear rule.

Which One Should You Pick? a Simple Rule of Thumb

Ask whether the choice matters. Use this four-step check.

1. Find the options. Say them in English: "watch a movie or rest."
2. Ask whether the choice matters. Would the speaker be happy with any of them?
3. Choose the ending. If the speaker is neutral and listing, use -거나. If any option is fine, use -든지.
4. Look for question words. If there is "who," "when" or "where," use -(이)든지 and the matching pattern.

Apply the check to "Call me anytime." The speaker means any time, so use 언제든지 전화하세요. Apply it to "Sometimes I read or sleep on the train." The speaker is just listing, so use 읽거나 자요.

If you cannot decide, -거나 is the safer choice in statements, and -든지 is the safer choice in permission such as 하세요. The next section looks at the places where learners slip.

What Mistakes Do Learners Make with These Two?

Learners most often mix up the spelling and the attitude of the two patterns. Four mistakes appear again and again.

1. Writing -던지 for "or." The form -든지 means choice. The form -던지 recalls a past state, as in 얼마나 피곤했던지 바로 잠들었어요 ("I was so tired that I fell asleep at once"). The vowel in the middle decides the meaning.
2. Using -든지 for a plain list. 주말에 영화를 보든지 쉬어요 sounds like "whether I watch or rest," not a normal description. Use 보거나 쉬어요.
3. Joining nouns with -거나. 커피거나 차 is not natural. Use 커피나 차 for "coffee or tea."
4. Leaving out the second -든지. One -든지 can work in short answers, but the pattern with two options reads more clearly: 가든지 말든지, 커피를 마시든지 차를 마시든지.

Use this checklist when a sentence feels wrong: Is it a plain list or an open choice? Are there nouns? Is the middle vowel 든? The remaining differences are edge cases.

When Do the Two Patterns Work Differently?

The two patterns work differently with tense, with commands and with limits on what they can express.

• Tense. In everyday speech the tense goes on the final verb: 어제는 책을 읽거나 쉬었어요. A tense marker on an earlier verb is possible in careful writing, but it is not needed for learners.
• Commands and permission. -든지 is the usual choice before 하세요 when the speaker means "either is fine with me": 이걸 먹든지 저걸 먹든지 하세요. -거나 can also come before a command, but it simply suggests options without that "I don't mind" tone: 주말에는 쉬거나 산책하세요 ("On the weekend, rest or take a walk").
• Strength. -든지 can sound a little careless if the listener expects a decision. 아무거나 (anything at all) and 뭐든지 can sound as if you do not care, so use them kindly in a restaurant.
• One honest limit. This page covers the spoken, everyday use of the two endings. Other "or" meanings, such as -(이)나 between nouns and the long -든지 -든지 frames in formal writing, are covered in separate lessons.

Since the rule depends on meaning and not shape, practice is the quickest way to feel the difference.

Practice: Choose the Right Pattern

Try the five items before you read the answer key.

1. Choose. "On Sundays I clean or cook." Which fits: 청소하거나 요리해요 or 청소하든지 요리해요?
2. Choose. "Call me anytime." Complete: ___ 전화하세요.
3. Fix the error. A learner writes 커피거나 차를 마셔요. How do you fix it?
4. Build. Make the -거나 form of 놀다 and the -든지 form of 가다.
5. Spell. "I was so cold that I shivered." Which is right: 추웠든지 or 추웠던지?

Answer key

1. 청소하거나 요리해요. It is a plain list of what the speaker does.
2. 언제든지. The question word 언제 plus -든지 gives "anytime."
3. 커피나 차를 마셔요. For nouns use (이)나, not -거나.
4. 놀거나 (the ㄹ stays) and 가든지.
5. 추웠던지. The sentence recalls a past state, so it takes 던, as in 얼마나 추웠던지 몸이 떨렸어요.

A final test: if the English sentence can add "whichever" or "no matter which," use -든지. If it is just "or," use -거나.

What Should You Learn Next?

After this comparison, study each ending on its own and then move on to other connectors. This page compares the two endings but does not teach every use of either one.

1. Read the full lesson on -거나, which covers more examples and the 이다 forms.
2. Read the full lesson on -든지, which covers question-word patterns in depth.
3. Check the intermediate list at Intermediate Grammar to see where both patterns sit among the B1 lessons.
4. Compare other confusing pairs at Confusing Grammar Compared.

With these steps, the choice between -거나 and -든지 becomes automatic: decide whether the choice matters, then add the matching ending.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between -거나 and -든지?

-거나 gives a neutral list of options: 영화를 보거나 쉬어요 means "I watch a movie or rest." -든지 says that the choice does not matter: 커피를 마시든지 차를 마시든지 하세요 means "have coffee or tea, whichever." Both translate as "or," but only -든지 gives free choice.

Can I always replace -거나 with -든지?

No. Swapping them changes the message. 주말에 영화를 보거나 쉬어요 describes what you do, while 보든지 쉬든지 sounds like "whichever." The one place where they are close is the frame "whether you go or not": 가거나 말거나 and 가든지 말든지 both work, and -든지 is more common.

Which one sounds more natural in speech?

Both are natural, in different situations. -거나 is the usual choice for describing habits and plans. -든지, or its short form -든, is the usual choice for permission and for question words, as in 언제든지 전화하세요. Neither one is formal or casual by itself.

Which one appears more often on TOPIK?

No reliable count is available, so this site makes no claim. Both endings belong to intermediate grammar and can appear in reading passages. Knowing the difference in meaning, and the -든지 versus -던지 spelling, is more useful than guessing which one is more frequent.

What is the quickest rule to remember?

Ask whether the choice matters. If the speaker is just listing options, use -거나. If any option is fine, or the sentence has a question word like 누구 or 언제, use -든지. A quick test is to add "whichever" in English: if it fits, use -든지.

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