There's No Way... (-ㄹ 리가 없다)
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use -ㄹ 리가 없다 to express strong disbelief or certainty that something is impossible.
- Attach -ㄹ/을 리가 없다 to the verb/adjective stem.
- Use -ㄹ for stems ending in vowels, -을 for consonants.
- Always use the past tense -었/았을 리가 없다 for past events.
Overview
-(으)ㄹ 리가 없다 is a core Korean grammar pattern used to express strong disbelief, denial, or a firm conviction that something is logically impossible or highly improbable. It signifies that, based on one's understanding, reason, or evidence, there is simply no way for a particular situation or action to be true or to occur. This pattern goes beyond simple negation; it asserts a logical rejection of a premise, often conveying surprise, shock, or a defensive stance.
The essence of -(으)ㄹ 리가 없다 lies in asserting that the very logical foundation or reason for an event or state does not exist. It is a powerful expression, indicating the speaker's subjective judgment that a given claim or observation defies common sense, established facts, or their personal knowledge of a person or situation. For instance, if you hear that your famously punctual friend was late, you might exclaim, 친구가 늦었을 리가 없어! (There's no way my friend was late!).
The speaker deems the idea of their friend being late illogical due to their punctuality.
How This Grammar Works
-(으)ㄹ is the future/prospective adnominal ending. Its primary function here is to nominalize the preceding verb or adjective, turning it into a clause that modifies the dependent noun 리. This -(으)ㄹ form creates a hypothetical or potential state/action that is then evaluated for its logical validity.갈 리가 없다 (No way [one] goes/went), 갈 describes the potential act of 'going', which is then deemed logically non-existent.리 (理) is a Sino-Korean dependent noun meaning "reason," "logic," "principle," "grounds," or "way." It represents the underlying rationale or plausibility of a situation. In this pattern, 리 serves as the central concept that is being affirmed or denied. It directly refers to the logical grounds that would make a statement true or an event possible.그럴 리가 없다 (There's no way that's true); here, 리 specifically refers to the logic behind 'that being true' that the speaker is refuting.가 없다 is a common expression meaning "there is no," "does not exist," or "lack of." When combined with 리, 리가 없다 directly translates to "there is no reason/logic" or "the logical grounds do not exist." Therefore, -(으)ㄹ 리가 없다 literally conveys: "The reason/logic for [verb/adjective state or action] to exist/happen does not exist." You are declaring that the logical basis for something is absent, rendering it impossible or implausible in your view.귀신이 있을 리가 없어! (There's no way a ghost exists!), indicating a logical disbelief in supernatural phenomena.그 사람이 거짓말을 했을 리가 없어 (There's no way that person lied) is not merely denying a lie, but asserting that lying is contrary to what is logically expected of that individual.Formation Pattern
-(으)ㄹ 리가 없다 is highly regular, attaching to the stems of both verbs and adjectives. The choice between -ㄹ and -을 depends on whether the stem ends in a vowel or a consonant. For past tense negation, the past tense marker is incorporated before this structure.
-(으)ㄹ 리가 없다 Form | Romanization | Meaning |
-ㄹ 리가 없다 | 가다 (to go) | 갈 리가 없다 (해체) | gal liga eopda | No way [one] goes/went |
크다 (to be big) | 클 리가 없다 (해체) | keul liga eopda | No way it's big |
-을 리가 없다 | 먹다 (to eat) | 먹을 리가 없다 (해체) | meogeul liga eopda | No way [one] eats/ate |
좋다 (to be good) | 좋을 리가 없다 (해체) | joeul liga eopda | No way it's good |
-(으)ㄹ is attached. These rules are consistent with other -(으)ㄹ patterns.
ㄹ irregulars (e.g., 살다 – to live): If the stem ends in ㄹ, the ㄹ is retained, and only -ㄹ is added (no 으). The existing ㄹ acts as the ㄹ of the -(으)ㄹ ending.
살다 (to live) → 살 리가 없다 (No way [one] lives/lived)
만들다 (to make) → 만들 리가 없다 (No way [one] makes/made)
ㄷ irregulars (e.g., 듣다 – to listen): ㄷ changes to ㄹ before vowel endings or -(으)ㄹ.
듣다 (to listen) → 들을 리가 없다 (No way [one] listens/listened)
걷다 (to walk) → 걸을 리가 없다 (No way [one] walks/walked)
ㅂ irregulars (e.g., 춥다 – to be cold): ㅂ changes to ㅜ (or ㅗ in 돕다, 곱다) before vowel endings or -(으)ㄹ.
춥다 (to be cold) → 추울 리가 없다 (No way it's cold)
돕다 (to help) → 도울 리가 없다 (No way [one] helps/helped)
ㅎ irregulars (e.g., 빨갛다 – to be red): ㅎ drops and ㄹ is added.
빨갛다 (to be red) → 빨갈 리가 없다 (No way it's red)
까맣다 (to be black) → 까말 리가 없다 (No way it's black)
-았/었- is attached to the verb or adjective stem before -(으)ㄹ 리가 없다. This forms V/A-았/었을 리가 없다.
-(으)ㄹ 리가 없다 Form | Romanization | Meaning |
가다 | 갔- | 갔을 리가 없다 (해체) | gasseul liga eopda | No way [one] went |
먹다 | 먹었- | 먹었을 리가 없다 (해체) | meogeosseul liga eopda | No way [one] ate |
있다 | 있었- | 있었을 리가 없다 (해체) | isseosseul liga eopda | No way [it] existed/was there |
피곤하다 | 피곤했을- | 피곤했을 리가 없다 (해체) | pigonhaesseul liga eopda| No way [one] was tired |
이다 (to be):
이다 is conjugated to 일 리가 없다. This applies the vowel-ending rule to 이.
학생이다 (to be a student) → 학생일 리가 없다 (No way [one] is a student)
의사이다 (to be a doctor) → 의사일 리가 없다 (No way [one] is a doctor)
없다:
합니다체): -(으)ㄹ 리가 없습니다
그가 거짓말을 했을 리가 없습니다. (There's no way he lied.)
해요체): -(으)ㄹ 리가 없어요
친구가 벌써 도착했을 리가 없어요. (There's no way my friend has arrived already.)
해체): -(으)ㄹ 리가 없어
네가 틀렸을 리가 없어. (There's no way you were wrong.)
When To Use It
-(으)ㄹ 리가 없다 is employed in situations where you want to express a strong, logical refutation or utter disbelief. It's not about physical inability but about a logical inconsistency that makes a statement or event seem impossible from your perspective.- Rejecting a Claim or Rumor: This is perhaps the most common usage. When presented with information that you believe cannot be true due to its inherent illogicality or contradiction with known facts, you use
-(으)ㄹ 리가 없다to firmly deny it. 그 회사가 망했을 리가 없어요. 지난달에 엄청난 투자를 받았잖아요.(There's no way that company went bankrupt. They received huge investments last month, didn't they?) This implies that bankruptcy is logically inconsistent with recent investments.제가 숙제를 다 했을 리가 없습니다. 어젯밤에 시작도 못 했는걸요.(There's no way I finished all my homework. I couldn't even start last night.) Here, the speaker knows they didn't start, so finishing is logically impossible.
- Expressing Strong Disbelief or Shock: When something unexpected happens or is reported, and it profoundly contradicts your expectations or understanding of reality, this pattern conveys your astonishment.
그 배우가 결혼했다고? 믿을 리가 없어!(That actor got married? No way I believe it!) The speaker is expressing shock because it contradicts their prior assumptions or media reports.내가 시험에 떨어졌을 리가 없어. 완벽하게 풀었는데.(There's no way I failed the exam. I solved it perfectly.) This conveys strong disbelief in the face of what the speaker perceives as an unlikley outcome.
- Defending Someone or Something: You can use
-(으)ㄹ 리가 없다to defend a person's character or a situation by asserting that the accusation or implication is logically inconsistent with what you know about them. 정직한 그 사람이 돈을 훔쳤을 리가 없어요.(There's no way that honest person stole the money.) The person's honesty makes the theft logically impossible in the speaker's eyes.우리 집 강아지가 소파를 물어뜯었을 리가 없어. 걔는 그런 짓 안 해.(There's no way our dog chewed up the sofa. He doesn't do things like that.) This defends the dog based on its known behavior, rejecting the accusation as illogical.
- Doubt about a Present State: While often used for past or future events, it can also express doubt about a current situation that seems contradictory.
지금 밖에 추울 리가 없어. 분명히 아까 햇빛이 쨍쨍했는데.(There's no way it's cold outside right now. The sun was definitely shining brightly earlier.) The current observation of cold weather contradicts earlier, definite information, making it seem illogical.
-(으)ㄹ 리가 없다 when you are absolutely convinced, based on rational thought or concrete knowledge, that something cannot, could not, or will not logically be the case. It is a declaration of subjective certainty against a perceived illogicality.Common Mistakes
-(으)ㄹ 리가 없다, primarily stemming from its strength and unique logical emphasis. Avoiding these common pitfalls will significantly improve your fluency and accuracy.-(으)ㄹ 수 없다 (Cannot/Unable to):-(으)ㄹ 수 없다 indicates a lack of ability, permission, or opportunity. -(으)ㄹ 리가 없다, however, denotes a logical impossibility or improbability.-(으)ㄹ 수 없다(Inability/Circumstance): Focuses on the subject's capacity or external conditions preventing an action.저는 높은 곳에서 뛰어내릴 수 없어요.(I can't jump from a high place. – Physical inability.)내일은 바빠서 만날 수 없어요.(I can't meet tomorrow because I'm busy. – Circumstantial inability/lack of opportunity.)-(으)ㄹ 리가 없다(Logical Impossibility): Focuses on the logical absurdity or contradiction of the statement itself.그 아이가 그런 잔인한 말을 했을 리가 없어요.(There's no way that child said such cruel words. – Logically impossible given the child's known character.)그렇게 열심히 공부했는데 떨어졌을 리가 없어.(Having studied so hard, there's no way [I/he] failed. – Logically inconsistent with the effort put in.)
갈 수 없어요 (I can't go) if you're busy, saying 갈 리가 없어요 in the same context would be highly unnatural. The latter implies it's logically impossible for you to be at the destination (e.g., you're in a different country), not just that you're unavailable. Reserve -(으)ㄹ 리가 없다 for scenarios where the very concept of the action defies logic.없다 (i.e., 없었다) when they intend to convey that a past event was logically impossible. This changes the meaning significantly.- Correct:
V/A-았/었을 리가 없다(Logical impossibility of a past event/state): The past tense marker-았/었-attaches to the main verb/adjective stem, indicating the denied action or state occurred in the past. 그가 어제 밤새 게임만 했을 리가 없어. 과제가 많았잖아.(There's no way he only played games all night yesterday. He had a lot of assignments, didn't he?) – The logical impossibility is about the action of playing games in the past.- Incorrect (or different meaning):
-(으)ㄹ 리가 없었다(There was no logical reason/way at a specific past point in time): This form suggests that the speaker held the belief of logical impossibility in the past, but that belief might have changed, or new information has emerged that makes the situation plausible now. 그때는 그가 범인일 리가 없었다.(At that time, there was no way he was the culprit.) – Implies that, at that past moment, the speaker believed he wasn't the culprit, but circumstances or evidence might have shifted since then.
-았/었-) to the main verb or adjective stem if you're denying the logical possibility of a past occurrence in the present.리 is a dependent noun, meaning it must be preceded by a space when combined with the adnominal form -(으)ㄹ. Forgetting this space is a common grammatical error, though often understood in context.- Correct:
갈 리가 없다,먹을 리가 없다,학생일 리가 없다 - Incorrect:
갈리가 없다,먹을리가 없다,학생일리가 없다
리 like other dependent nouns such as 것 or 수; they always require a preceding space. Proper spacing enhances readability and grammatical precision.-(으)ㄹ 리가 없다 is a strong expression of certainty. Using it in trivial situations or when a softer negation (-지 않다) would suffice can sound overly dramatic or even confrontational. It implies a high degree of confidence in your logical assessment.- Instead of:
제가 오늘 피곤할 리가 없어요.(There's no way I'm tired today. – sounds overly strong if you just feel a bit tired, implying it's logically impossible to be tired, perhaps because you slept 12 hours). - Better:
제가 오늘 피곤하지 않아요.(I'm not tired today.) or오늘 그렇게 피곤하지는 않아요.(I'm not that tired today.)
Real Conversations
In contemporary Korean communication, -(으)ㄹ 리가 없다 appears in various contexts, from casual chats to more formal discussions. Its usage reflects the speaker's emotional state—disbelief, exasperation, or resolute conviction.
- Text Messaging/Chat Apps (Casual 해체): This is where you often see shortened forms and direct expressions of disbelief among close friends.
- Friend A: 철수가 어제 소개팅에서 완전 이상한 소리 했대. (Cheolsu apparently said really weird things on his blind date yesterday.)
- Friend B: 철수가? 그럴 리 없어. 걔 말 주변 엄청 좋은데. (Cheolsu? No way. He's really good with words.) – Here, 그럴 리 없어 (There's no way that's true/he would do that) expresses disbelief based on knowledge of Cheolsu's character.
- Friend C: 오늘 시험 망했어... 답이 다 기억 안 나. (I bombed the exam today... I can't remember any of the answers.)
- Friend D: 네가? 그럴 리가 없어. 너 엄청 열심히 했잖아. (You? No way. You studied so hard!) – A common encouraging, yet disbelieving, response among peers, implying failure is inconsistent with effort.
- Online Forums/Social Media (Mixed 해요체/해체): Used to react to news, rumors, or controversial statements.
- News Headline: `유명 아이돌 A, 열애설 부인
Formation of -ㄹ 리가 없다
| Verb/Adjective Stem | Ending | Result |
|---|---|---|
|
가다 (vowel)
|
-ㄹ
|
갈 리가 없다
|
|
먹다 (consonant)
|
-을
|
먹을 리가 없다
|
|
하다 (vowel)
|
-ㄹ
|
할 리가 없다
|
|
읽다 (consonant)
|
-을
|
읽을 리가 없다
|
|
가다 (past)
|
-었/았을
|
갔을 리가 없다
|
|
먹다 (past)
|
-었/았을
|
먹었을 리가 없다
|
Meanings
Used to express the speaker's firm belief that a certain situation or event is impossible.
Strong Disbelief
Expressing that a fact or event contradicts the speaker's knowledge.
“그 사람이 범인일 리가 없어요.”
“비가 올 리가 없어요.”
Logical Impossibility
Stating that based on evidence, something cannot be true.
“이게 고장 났을 리가 없는데.”
“그가 나를 싫어할 리가 없어요.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Present
|
Stem + ㄹ/을 리가 없다
|
갈 리가 없다
|
|
Past
|
Stem + 었/았을 리가 없다
|
갔을 리가 없다
|
|
Adjective
|
Stem + (으)ㄹ 리가 없다
|
예쁠 리가 없다
|
|
Polite
|
Stem + (으)ㄹ 리가 없어요
|
갈 리가 없어요
|
|
Formal
|
Stem + (으)ㄹ 리가 없습니다
|
갈 리가 없습니다
|
|
Negative
|
Stem + (으)ㄹ 리가 없다
|
갈 리가 없다
|
Formality Spectrum
그가 그렇게 했을 리가 없습니다. (Defending a friend)
그가 그렇게 했을 리가 없어요. (Defending a friend)
그가 그렇게 했을 리가 없어. (Defending a friend)
그가 그럴 리가 없잖아! (Defending a friend)
The Logic of Impossibility
Certainty
- 확신 Conviction
Logic
- 이유 Reason
Negation
- 불가능 Impossible
Examples by Level
그럴 리가 없어요.
That cannot be true.
비가 올 리가 없어요.
It cannot be raining.
그가 갈 리가 없어요.
He cannot be going.
맛이 없을 리가 없어요.
It cannot be tasteless.
그가 거짓말을 했을 리가 없어요.
He could not have lied.
시험에 떨어졌을 리가 없어요.
I could not have failed the test.
그녀가 화가 났을 리가 없어요.
She could not have been angry.
이게 비쌀 리가 없어요.
This cannot be expensive.
그 사람이 범인일 리가 없다고 생각해요.
I don't think he could be the culprit.
지금 문이 닫혔을 리가 없는데.
The door shouldn't be closed now.
그가 나를 싫어할 리가 없어요.
There is no way he dislikes me.
이 계획이 실패했을 리가 없어요.
There is no way this plan failed.
모든 증거가 그를 가리키는데, 그가 범인이 아닐 리가 없어요.
All evidence points to him, so it's impossible he's not the culprit.
그가 그런 실수를 했을 리가 없다는 게 제 생각입니다.
It is my opinion that he could not have made such a mistake.
아무리 생각해도 그가 떠났을 리가 없어요.
No matter how I think about it, he couldn't have left.
이런 상황에서 그가 웃을 리가 없죠.
In this situation, there is no way he would be laughing.
그가 그 제안을 거절했을 리가 만무하다는 의견이 지배적입니다.
The prevailing opinion is that it is impossible he rejected the proposal.
어제 그를 봤는데, 그가 한국에 없을 리가 없어요.
I saw him yesterday, so it's impossible he's not in Korea.
그녀가 진실을 몰랐을 리가 없다는 점이 의심스럽습니다.
It is suspicious that she could not have known the truth.
이런 결과가 우연일 리가 없다고 확신합니다.
I am certain that this result cannot be a coincidence.
그가 그토록 오랫동안 침묵을 지켰을 리가 없다는 것이 정설입니다.
It is the established theory that he could not have kept silent for so long.
그의 성격상 그런 비겁한 행동을 했을 리가 없다는 것은 자명합니다.
Given his character, it is self-evident that he could not have acted so cowardly.
그가 이 일을 끝내지 못했을 리가 없는데, 왜 아직 연락이 없죠?
It's impossible he hasn't finished this, so why is there no contact?
그가 그 사실을 간과했을 리가 없다는 점을 고려해야 합니다.
We must consider that it is impossible he overlooked that fact.
Easily Confused
Both express negation, but one is a guess and the other is a certainty.
Both mean 'no way', but one is standard and the other is more literary.
Both mean 'no way', but this is extremely formal.
Common Mistakes
갈 리가 없다
갔을 리가 없다
먹을 리가 없어요
먹었을 리가 없어요
가다 리가 없다
갈 리가 없다
비가 올 리가 없어요
비가 올 리가 없어요 (Correct but contextually wrong)
그가 범인일 리가 없어요
그가 범인일 리가 없어요 (Correct)
그것이 사실일 리가 없다
그것이 사실일 리가 없다
그가 왔을 리가 없어요
그가 왔을 리가 없어요
그가 그렇게 말했을 리가 없어요
그가 그렇게 말했을 리가 없어요
그녀가 나를 좋아할 리가 없어요
그녀가 나를 좋아할 리가 없어요
이게 고장 났을 리가 없어요
이게 고장 났을 리가 없어요
그가 그럴 리가 없다는 것을 알아요
그가 그럴 리가 없다는 것을 알아요
Sentence Patterns
그가 ___을 리가 없어요.
이게 ___ 리가 없어요.
그 상황에서 그가 ___ 리가 없죠.
모든 증거를 보면 그가 ___ 리가 없어요.
Real World Usage
그럴 리가 없는데! 다시 확인해봐.
이게 사실일 리가 없다. 다들 믿지 마세요.
저희 회사가 그런 실수를 했을 리가 없습니다.
기차가 벌써 떠났을 리가 없어요.
음식이 차가울 리가 없는데, 왜 그렇죠?
그가 그런 말을 했을 리가 만무합니다.
Use for certainty
Past tense matters
Formal settings
Defending others
Smart Tips
Use -ㄹ 리가 없다 instead of just '아니에요'.
Always check if you need the past tense form.
Use the formal ending -습니다.
Don't use this if you are just guessing.
Pronunciation
Linking
The 'ㄹ' in '리' is often pronounced clearly, but the 'ㄹ' in the stem links to the '리'.
Falling
그럴 리가 없어요↘
Finality and strong conviction.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of 'Ree' (리) as 'Reason'. There is no 'Reason' (리) for this to exist (없다).
Visual Association
Imagine a detective looking at a locked door. He says, 'There is no reason for this door to be open!' while pointing at the door.
Rhyme
It cannot be, it cannot be, add -ㄹ 리가 없다 to the verb, you'll see!
Story
Min-su was accused of stealing a cookie. His mom said, 'Min-su, you ate the cookie!' Min-su replied, 'I didn't! I was at school. I couldn't have eaten it!' (먹었을 리가 없어요!). His mom checked the camera and saw he was right.
Word Web
Challenge
For the next 5 minutes, look at 3 things around you and say why they 'could not' be something else (e.g., 'This chair could not be a table').
Cultural Notes
In Korean culture, this is often used to save face for others. By saying 'He couldn't have done that,' you are actively defending someone's character.
Derived from the noun '리' (reason/logic) and '없다' (to not exist).
Conversation Starters
그 사람이 범인이라고 생각해요?
오늘 날씨가 정말 덥죠?
그가 시험에 합격했대요.
이 식당이 맛없다고 하던데요?
Journal Prompts
Common Mistakes
Test Yourself
그가 ___ 리가 없어요.
그가 어제 ___ 리가 없어요.
Find and fix the mistake:
그가 거짓말을 할 리가 없어요 (He couldn't have lied).
없어요 / 리가 / 그가 / 갈
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
그가 올 리가 없어요.
Which is more formal?
이게 ___ 리가 없어요.
Score: /8
Practice Exercises
8 exercises그가 ___ 리가 없어요.
그가 어제 ___ 리가 없어요.
Find and fix the mistake:
그가 거짓말을 할 리가 없어요 (He couldn't have lied).
없어요 / 리가 / 그가 / 갈
그럴 리가 없어요
그가 올 리가 없어요.
Which is more formal?
이게 ___ 리가 없어요.
Score: /8
Practice Bank
10 exercises그 소문이 ___ ___ ___ ___.
No way he LEFT (떠나다) already.
지금 비가 오을 리가 없어.
학생 / 그 / 리가 / 사람이 / 일 / 없어
Match logic to phrase
싸다 (to be cheap)
Choose the correctly conjugated form of 살다 (to live).
그가 내 말을 ___ ___ ___ ___.
어제 그가 집에 갈 리가 없어요.
날씨가 / 추울 / 리가 / 없어
Score: /10
FAQ (8)
Yes, but only if you are certain it won't happen. For example, '내일 비가 올 리가 없어요' (It's impossible that it will rain tomorrow).
It can be if you use it to dismiss someone's opinion. Use it carefully.
-ㄹ 턱이 없다 is more literary and less common in daily speech.
No, it must be attached to a verb or adjective stem.
Use the -습니다 ending: -ㄹ 리가 없습니다.
'리' means reason or logic. So it literally means 'there is no logic for this'.
Yes, it is very common when characters are in shock or defending someone.
No, '아마' (maybe) contradicts the certainty of this grammar.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
No puede ser
Korean is more specific about the 'reason' for the impossibility.
C'est impossible
Korean structure is more complex due to conjugation.
Das kann nicht sein
Korean requires stem conjugation.
はずがない
The particles used are different.
不可能
Korean is more nuanced.
مستحيل
Korean is more formal/polite.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
Learn These First
Related Grammar Rules
No choice but to... (-ㄹ/을 수밖에 없다)
Overview The Korean grammar pattern `-(으)ㄹ 수밖에 없다` is a powerful expression of inevitability. It conveys that du...
Present Progressive: -ing (고 있다)
Overview Korean, like English, distinguishes between habitual or general actions and actions that are actively in progre...
To the Absolute Max: (-ㄹ/을 대로)
Overview Korean grammar employs `-(ㄹ/을) 대로` to express that a state or action has reached its absolute **utmost limi...
Just/Only: Emphatic Limitation (-ㄹ/을 뿐이다)
Overview At the B2 CEFR level in Korean, you're moving beyond basic sentence construction to express nuanced ideas, subt...
Logically Likely: -ㄹ/을 법하다
Overview `-(으)ㄹ 법하다` is a Korean grammar pattern that expresses a logical likelihood, plausibility, or reasonable e...
