-(으)ㄹ지라도 Grammar in Korean: Meaning and How to Use It

What you'll learn

• Attach -(으)ㄹ지라도 to verbs, adjectives and nouns.
• Read the tense ㅉ in the spoken form.
• Know when the ending is too formal for conversation.
• Choose between -(으)ㄹ지라도, -더라도 and -아/어도.

Prerequisites: the ending -더라도 and the past tense -았/었-. Time: about 15 minutes.

Key facts

• -(으)ㄹ지라도 means "even if", in a formal, written or speech style.
• It often goes with a vow, a decision or a call to act.
• Form: vowel or ㄹ stem + ㄹ지라도, consonant stem + 을지라도, noun + 일지라도.
• It is said with a tense ㅉ: [-ㄹ찌라도].
• For conversation, use -더라도 or -아/어도.

Listen to two model sentences.

The next section defines the pattern.

What Does -(으)ㄹ지라도 Grammar Mean?

-(으)ㄹ지라도 means "even if" or "even though". A connective ending is a word or ending that joins one clause to the next. -(으)ㄹ지라도 is a connective ending that tells the reader, "Take this hard case. Even then, the result will not change."

The ending has a firm and solemn feeling. When a writer says 실패할지라도 도전할 것이다, the writer pictures the worst case on purpose and then states a decision. The case can be imagined or conceded. The writer does not say whether it is true.

You find the ending in speeches, essays, editorials and novels. It often pairs with adverbs that strengthen the hard case. 비록 means "although", 설령 and 설사 mean "even supposing", and 아무리 means "however much".

Here are two glossed examples.

In both sentences, the second clause is a vow in the plain written style (-ㄹ 것이다 and -겠다). This is typical. The ending often sits in front of a statement of resolve.

The next section shows how to build the form.

How Do You Form -(으)ㄹ지라도?

Remove 다 from the dictionary form to get the stem. The stem is the verb or adjective without its dictionary ending -다. For 실패하다 the stem is 실패하. Then add the ending that matches the last sound of the stem.

The forms are the same as the modifier of the future, so you can borrow them from -(으)ㄹ 거예요 and other ㄹ-patterns: 실패할 (거예요), 어려울 (거예요). If you know the future modifier, you already know the ending: just add 지라도.

The tense ㅉ is the one sound change to learn. After the final ㄹ of the modifier, the ㅈ of 지 is said as a tense ㅉ, so 실패할지라도 sounds like [실패할찌라도]. This tensing happens in speech only, and the spelling does not change. Revised Romanization (RR) is a spelling system that writes sounds in Latin letters. It does not mark tensing that comes from a neighbouring sound, so it writes silpaehaljirado.

Stems Ending in a Vowel

Vowel stems take ㄹ지라도 directly: 실패하 gives 실패할지라도, and 가난하 gives 가난할지라도. For verbs made with 하다, add ㄹ to 하. You do not need an extra 을.

Stems Ending in a Consonant

Consonant stems take 을지라도: 늙다 gives 늙을지라도, and 있다 gives 있을지라도. The 으 is a helping vowel that connects the consonant to ㄹ.

Irregular Stems and Nouns

Irregular stems change as they do before other ㄹ-endings. An irregular stem is one that changes its shape before an ending that begins with a vowel or ㄹ. The ㅂ stems change to 우: 어렵다 gives 어려울지라도. The ㄷ stems change to ㄹ: 듣다 gives 들을지라도. The 르 stems double the ㄹ: 모르다 gives 모를지라도. The ㄹ stems keep their ㄹ and add 지라도: 알다 gives 알지라도.

For nouns, use 이다, which means "to be". The noun takes 일지라도 after both vowels and consonants: 학생일지라도, 의사일지라도. The negative 아니다 becomes 아닐지라도, which means "even if it is not".

The next section builds a full sentence.

Worked Example: Building 아무리 어려울지라도 포기하지 않겠다

Say "However hard it is, I will not give up." Follow five steps.

1. Write the hard case. "It is hard" uses the adjective 어렵다. The adverb 아무리 means "however much".
2. Find the stem. The dictionary form is 어렵다, so the stem is 어렵.
3. Apply the ㅂ rule. 어렵 becomes 어려우 before an ending with ㄹ. Add ㄹ지라도: 어려울지라도.
4. Write the vow. "I will not give up" is 포기하지 않겠다. The plain style ending -겠다 shows a decision in writing.
5. Join the two parts. 아무리 어려울지라도 포기하지 않겠다.

You'll know it worked when the first clause ends in 지라도 with nothing after it, and no polite ending appears inside. The ending sits only on the last verb. Try the same steps with "Even if I fail, I will try": 실패하다 gives 실패할지라도, and 도전할 것이다 follows.

The next section covers tense and sentence types.

Which Tenses and Sentence Types Work with -(으)ㄹ지라도?

Tense is shown on the verb before the ending. For -(으)ㄹ지라도, put 았/었 between the stem and 을지라도. The last verb of the sentence then carries the speech level. Past tense -았/었- is explained in full on its own page, so this page does not repeat it.

The result clause is often a vow, a decision or a duty. The plain style (-ㄴ/는다, -다) is the verb form used in essays, and the formal style (-ㅂ니다, -습니다) is used in speeches. Both are common after -(으)ㄹ지라도. A polite -어요 ending is also possible, but the pattern then sounds like a dramatic statement.

The imagined past -았/었을지라도 pictures a case that has already finished: 몰랐을지라도 책임은 져야 한다 means "Even if you did not know, you must take responsibility." The writer is not saying whether you knew.

Yes/no questions with this ending are rare. The ending is a statement tool, not a conversation tool. A command is possible in the plain style: 실패할지라도 포기하지 마라 means "Even if you fail, don't give up."

The next section compares -(으)ㄹ지라도 with its neighbours.

How Is -(으)ㄹ지라도 Different from -더라도?

Both can be translated as "even if", and that is why learners mix them up. The difference is the register and the feeling. The same vow is told three ways.

Spoken forms: 실패하더라도 도전할 거예요 is [실패하더라도 도전할꺼예요] (RR silpaehadeorado dojeonhal geoyeyo), and 실패해도 괜찮아요 is [실패해도 괜차나요] (RR silpaehaedo gwaenchanayo).

The key test is the setting. For a speech, an essay or a formal vow, use -(으)ㄹ지라도. For a promise to a friend or a colleague, use -더라도. For a plain concession, use -아/어도.

A fourth pattern, -(으)ㄹ망정, also means "even if" but adds "I would rather accept X than ...". Another formal partner is -(으)ㅁ에도 불구하고, which states a real fact and a surprising result. For a real fact in conversation, see -(으)ㄴ/는데도.

The next section covers set phrases and edge cases.

Variations and Edge Cases of -(으)ㄹ지라도

Adverbs That Go with It

Writers often put an adverb before the ending to make the case clear.

The word 비록 is the most common in essays. The words 설령 and 설사 mean the same thing and signal an imagined case.

Learn It as One Block

The ending looks like -(으)ㄹ지 ("whether") plus 라도 ("even if it is"), and it ends in 도, the same syllable as the particle for "even". You do not need to separate these parts. Learn -(으)ㄹ지라도 as one block. The particle itself is explained in also particle 도.

Do Not Confuse It with -(으)ㄹ지

The ending -(으)ㄹ지 asks an indirect question and means "whether". 비가 올지 몰라요 means "I don't know whether it will rain." It has no 라도 and no "even if" meaning. The two look alike because both end in 지, but 라도 is what makes the concession.

Using It in Speech

In conversation, -(으)ㄹ지라도 can sound like a line from a speech. People use it on purpose for a dramatic effect, for example in a farewell or a promise to a family. For daily use, replace it with -더라도: 실패하더라도 도전할 거예요.

The next section lists the mistakes that appear most often.

What Mistakes Do Learners Make with -(으)ㄹ지라도?

Learners make six predictable mistakes. Each has a reason and a fix.

Learners often use it in casual conversation. Actually the ending is formal and written. A stiff sentence to a friend: 실패할지라도 도전할 것이다. A natural one: 실패하더라도 도전할 거예요. Fix: use -더라도 or -아/어도 when you speak.

Learners often add 을 to a vowel stem. Actually 을 is for consonant stems only. Wrong: 실패하을지라도. Right: 실패할지라도. Fix: add ㄹ to a vowel stem and 을 to a consonant stem.

Learners often add 을 to a ㄹ stem. Actually a ㄹ stem already ends in ㄹ. Wrong: 알을지라도. Right: 알지라도. Fix: keep the ㄹ and add 지라도.

Learners often put a space before 지라도. Actually the ending is one word with the stem. Wrong: 실패할 지라도. Right: 실패할지라도. Fix: write the ending together with the stem.

Learners often confuse it with -(으)ㄹ지. Actually 올지 몰라요 means "I don't know whether it will rain", and 올지라도 means "even if it rains". Fix: look for 라도. It makes the clause a concession.

Learners often put the polite ending inside. Actually the ending attaches to the bare stem. Wrong: 힘들어요일지라도 and 실패해요할지라도. Right: 힘들지라도 and 실패할지라도. Fix: attach the ending to the stem and put the speech level on the last verb only.

The next section gives you practice.

Practice and Answers

Do the four tasks, then compare with the key.

Task 1: join the sentences with -(으)ㄹ지라도. Write one sentence for each pair.

1. 실패해요. / 도전할 것이다.
2. 아무리 어려워요. / 포기하지 않겠다.
3. 비록 가난해요. / 정직하게 살겠다.
4. 몸은 늙었어요. / 마음은 젊다.

Task 2: fix the error. Each sentence has one mistake. Rewrite it correctly.

1. 실패하을지라도 도전할 것이다.
2. 알을지라도 말하지 않겠다.
3. 실패할 지라도 포기하지 않겠다.

Task 3: translate. Write in Korean: "Even if everyone opposes it, I will go my own way." and "Even if you did not know, you must take responsibility."

Task 4: write your own. Write one vow with 비록, and one with 설령.

Answer key

1. (1) 실패할지라도 도전할 것이다. (2) 아무리 어려울지라도 포기하지 않겠다. (3) 비록 가난할지라도 정직하게 살겠다. (4) 몸은 늙었을지라도 마음은 젊다.
2. (1) 실패할지라도 도전할 것이다. (2) 알지라도 말하지 않겠다. (3) 실패할지라도 포기하지 않겠다.
3. 설령 모두가 반대할지라도 저는 제 길을 가겠습니다. 몰랐을지라도 책임은 져야 한다. Other correct versions exist, for example 모두가 반대하더라도 제 길을 갈 거예요 in a casual setting.
4. Sample answers: 비록 힘들지라도 최선을 다하겠다. 설령 실패할지라도 후회하지 않겠다. Any pair is correct if the ending is written together with the stem and the result is a vow, a decision or a duty.

If task 1 was correct, you have the formation rule. If task 2 was hard, check whether you added 을 to a vowel stem or a ㄹ stem, or wrote a space. The next section points you to what comes after this lesson.

What Should You Learn after -(으)ㄹ지라도 Grammar?

After -(으)ㄹ지라도, learn -(으)ㅁ에도 불구하고 for a formal "in spite of", and -(으)ㄴ/는데도 for a real fact with a surprising result. If you have not yet studied the common spoken partner, go back to -더라도. The particle inside the ending is explained in also particle 도.

For a wider view, the parent page Contrast and Concession lists every connector in this group. To plan by level, use Advanced Grammar.

This lesson covers -(으)ㄹ지라도 in the plain, formal and polite styles. It does not cover every written variation. About this page. Last updated 2026-10-09. Revised Romanization follows the national rules and is shown only as a learning aid.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Does -(으)ㄹ지라도 Mean?

-(으)ㄹ지라도 means "even if" or "even though", in a formal and emphatic style. It sets a bad or difficult case and says the result will not change. 실패할지라도 도전할 것이다 means "Even if I fail, I will try." It often goes with a firm vow, a decision or a call to act.

How Do I Attach -(으)ㄹ지라도 to a Verb or Adjective?

Take the stem and add ㄹ지라도 after a vowel or ㄹ (실패할지라도, 알지라도) and 을지라도 after a final consonant (늙을지라도). Irregular stems change as in other ㄹ-endings: 어렵다 becomes 어려울지라도 and 듣다 becomes 들을지라도. A noun takes 일지라도, as in 학생일지라도. The ending attaches with no space.

Can -(으)ㄹ지라도 Be Used in the past Tense?

Yes. Put 았/었 before the ending: 늙었을지라도, 몰랐을지라도. This imagines a finished case: 몰랐을지라도 책임은 져야 한다 means "Even if you did not know, you must take responsibility." The result clause still looks forward to a duty, a vow or a fixed fact.

Is -(으)ㄹ지라도 Used in Speech or Only in Writing?

It is mainly written and formal. You find it in speeches, essays, editorials and novels. In everyday conversation, people say -더라도 or -아/어도 instead. Using -(으)ㄹ지라도 with a friend can sound stiff or theatrical, except in a deliberately dramatic statement of resolve.

What Is the Most Common Mistake with -(으)ㄹ지라도?

Attaching 을 to a vowel stem or ㄹ stem. 실패하을지라도 and 알을지라도 are wrong. Say 실패할지라도 and 알지라도. Other frequent mistakes are putting a space before 지라도 and confusing the ending with -(으)ㄹ지, which means "whether". 비가 올지 몰라요 is "I don't know whether it will rain".

What Is the Difference between -(으)ㄹ지라도 and -더라도?

-더라도 works in speech and writing and sounds firm. -(으)ㄹ지라도 sounds more formal and emphatic and belongs to speeches and written texts. Both mean "even if". 실패하더라도 도전할 거예요 is natural in conversation. 실패할지라도 도전할 것이다 is a statement for an essay or a speech.

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