Usage
i) Inadequate condition
그렇게 거짓말해서야 누가 너를 믿겠어?
Who would trust you when you lie like that?
ii) Condition finally met
여행 다녀와서야 집의 소중함을 깨달았어요.
Only after travelling did I realize the value of home.
iii) Disapproval
공부를 안 해서야 되겠니?
Should you really not study?
Basic conjugation
| Stem ending in ㅗ or ㅏ | Stem ending in ㅓ,ㅜ,ㅡ, or ㅣ | 하다 words |
|---|---|---|
| 살다 + 아서야 | 슬프다 + 어서야 | 하다 + 어서야 |
| = 살아서야 | = 슬퍼서야 | = 해서야 |
Complete conjugation
Expand for complete table
| Stem ending | Dictionary form | 아/어서야 form |
|---|---|---|
| ㅏ or ㅗ | 보다 | 봐서야 |
| 좋다 | 좋아서야 | |
| ㅓ, ㅜ, ㅡ, or ㅣ | 먹다 | 먹어서야 |
| 주다 | 줘서야 | |
| 슬프다 | 슬퍼서야 | |
| 마시다 | 마셔서야 | |
| 듣다 | 들어서야 | |
| 하다 | 공부하다 | 공부해서야 |
| 되다 | 발전되다 | 발전돼서야 |
| 밤이 되다 | 밤이 돼서야 | |
| ㄷ irregular | 듣다 | 들어서야 |
| ㅂ irregular | 돕다 | 도와서야 |
| 춥다 | 추워서야 | |
| ㄹ irregular | 살다 | 살아서야 |
| 풀다 | 풀어서야 | |
| ㅎ irregular | 노랗다 | 노래서야 |
| ㅅ irregular | 잇다 | 이어서야 |
| 르 irregular | 부르다 | 불러서야 |
| 빠르다 | 빨라서야 | |
| 으 irregular | 쓰다 | 써서야 |
| Special irregular | 이다 | 이어서야 |
| 푸다 | 퍼서야 |
Contents
Introduction
i) Inadequate condition
ii) Condition finally met
iii) Disapproval
Additional details
Associated grammar
See also
Bibliography
User examples
Introduction
The connective ending 어서야 combines the connective 어서 with the emphatic particle 야 (which adds the meaning of “only”). 어서야 ultimately expresses that something can only happen once certain conditions are met.
That is:
• Usage i), the condition is inadequate, preventing the desirable outcome.
• Usage ii), the condition was finally met, allowing the desirable outcome.
• Usage iii), the speaker rhetorically questions an undesirable condition, expressing disapproval.
i) Inadequate condition
This usage expresses that something cannot happen unless the right conditions are met. It highlights how current circumstances prevent the desirable outcome. The basic pattern is:
How can Y happen if X is like this?
그렇게 거짓말해서야 누가 너를 믿겠어?
Who would trust you when you lie like that?
Here, ‘lying’ is the condition that makes the desirable outcome (trust) impossible. The speaker is emphasizing that truthfulness is a necessary condition for trust.
More examples:
돈 벌지 않아서야 어떻게 독립할 수 있겠어?
How can you become independent if you don’t earn money?
계획 세우지 않아서야 무슨 일을 제대로 하겠어?
How do you expect to do anything properly without making a plan?
돈을 이렇게 많이 써서야 어떻게 여행을 갈 수 있겠어요?
If you spend this much money, how are you going to go on a trip?
커피를 이렇게 많이 마셔서야 오늘 밤에 잘 수 없을 거예요.
If you drink this much coffee, you won’t be able to sleep tonight.
필수 서류를 제출하지 않으셔서야 어떻게 심사를 진행하실 수 있겠습니까?
How can one proceed with the evaluation without submitting the required documents?
이러한 방식으로 예산을 집행하셔서야 연말 감사에 문제가 발생할 것입니다.
Should one execute the budget in this manner, problems will arise during the year-end audit.
Examples from NIKL 사전:
이렇게 날이 추워서야 아무 데도 못 가겠다.
With weather this cold, I can’t go anywhere.
물로 대충대충 씻어서야 찌든 때가 닦일 리가 없다.
If you wash it carelessly with just water, there’s no way the grime will come off.
이렇게 글에 내용이 없어서야 누가 읽고 감동을 받겠니.
With a text this empty, who would be moved by reading it?
A: 아빠는 흰머리가 나는데 염색할 생각이 없으세요?
A: Dad, you have grey hair now. Don’t you plan to dye it?
B: 머리가 다 희어서야 염색을 하지, 지금은 안 해도 돼.
B: I’ll dye it once it’s completely grey. For now, it’s fine.
A: 나 아까 저녁에 먹은 게 체한 것 같아.
A: I think I got indigestion from dinner.
B: 그렇게 급하게 먹어서야 체하지 않는 게 이상하지.
B: It’d be strange if you didn’t get indigestion eating that fast.
Examples from 김연희 2020:
백수여서야 집을 살 수 있겠니?
If you’re unemployed, can you really buy a house?
그렇게 많이 먹어서야 다이어트가 되겠니?
If you eat that much, can you really call it a diet?
고향에 가지 않아서야 가족이라고 할 수 있겠니?
If you don’t go to your hometown, can you really call yourself family?
물가가 이렇게 올라서야 어찌 서민들이 살겠어요?
If prices have risen like this, how can ordinary people possibly live?
글씨가 이렇게 작아서야 할아버지가 읽으실 수 있겠니?
If the letters are this small, can Grandpa really read them?
좋은 성적을 못 받아서야 모범생이라고 할 수 있겠습니까?
If you don’t get good grades, can you really be called an exemplary student?
ii) Condition finally met
This usage expresses that something desirable only became possible after a required condition was met. It highlights the delay before reaching a necessary step. The basic pattern is:
Only after X did Y happen
여행 다녀와서야 집의 소중함을 깨달았어요.
Only after travelling did I realize the value of home.
Here, ‘travelling’ was the required condition before the desirable outcome (realization of importance) was reached. The speaker uses 야 to emphasize that ‘travelling’ was the only path to realization.
More examples:
늦어서야 도착했어요.
I didn’t arrive until it was late.
울어서야 마음이 편해진다.
Only after crying does one’s heart become at ease.
실패해 봐서야 성공의 길을 찾았어.
I found the path to success only through experiencing failure first.
아침이 밝아서야 비로소 그녀가 도착했다.
Only after the morning had brightened did she arrive.
책을 읽어서야 새로운 세계를 발견하게 되었어요.
Only after reading books did I come to discover a new world.
회의가 종료되어서야 대표이사님께서 결정을 발표하셨습니다.
The Chief Executive Officer did not announce the decision until the meeting had concluded.
현대 과학 기술이 발전해서야 난치병 치료법이 개발되었습니다.
Treatment methods for intractable diseases were not developed until modern scientific technology advanced.
Examples from NIKL 사전:
화가는 삼 년이 걸려서야 그림 하나를 완성했다.
The painter took three years to finally complete a single painting.
그는 밀린 일을 끝내고 밤이 늦어서야 퇴근을 했다.
He finished his backlog of work and left the office late at night.
우리가 몇 번을 잡고 흔들어서야 승규가 잠에서 깼다.
We had to shake Seunggyu several times before he finally woke up.
우리는 한참을 웃고 떠들다가 자정이 넘어서야 잠이 들었다.
We laughed and talked for a long time and only fell asleep after midnight.
아버지께서는 반주를 몇 잔 마시고 밤이 깊어서야 집에 오셨다.
Father had a few drinks and only came home late at night.
A: 너 너무 졸려 보인다. 어렵다던 과제는 잘 냈어?
A: You look so sleepy. Did you finish that hard assignment?
B: 어제 밤새우고 새벽이 다 되어서야 겨우 제출했어.
B: I stayed up all night and barely submitted it right before dawn.
iii) Disapproval
This usage expresses criticism or disapproval through rhetorical questions. It implies that the current condition is undesirable. 되겠니 is used to question the acceptability of the condition. The basic pattern is:
Should X really be like this?
공부를 안 해서야 되겠니?
Should you really not study?
Here, ‘not studying’ is an undesirable condition. 어서야 establishes ‘not studying’ as inadequate and implies consequences (think: reason/cause usage of 어서). 되겠니 functions as a rhetorical question, strongly telling the listener that they need to study.
More examples:
술을 매일 마셔서야 되겠습니까?
Is drinking alcohol every day really acceptable?
약속 시간에 항상 늦어서야 되겠니?
Should you always be late for appointments?
선생님 말씀을 안 들어서야 되겠어요?
Can you really ignore what your teacher says?
아이에게 그런 말을 해서야 되겠습니까?
Is it appropriate to say such things to a child?
이런 날씨에 얇게 입고 나가서야 되겠어?
Do you really think it’s okay to go out dressed so lightly in this weather?
Examples from NIKL 사전:
남의 이야기를 함부로 엿들어서야 되겠니?
Should you really eavesdrop on someone else’s conversation?
민준아, 몸에 안 좋은 음식을 그렇게 마구 집어서야 되겠니?
Minjun, should you really be grabbing unhealthy food like that?
A: 아주머니, 한 번만 외상으로 해 주세요.
A: Ma’am, please let me buy on credit just this once.
B: 저도 돈을 벌려고 장사하는 건데 외상만 늘어서야 되겠어요?
B: I’m running a business to earn money too. How can I keep giving things on credit?
A: 이따가 몇 시간만 하면 일을 끝낼 수 있겠지?
A: We can finish the work in just a few hours, right?
B: 그래도 중요한 일인데 그렇게 적은 시간을 들여서야 되겠니?
B: It’s an important task. Do you really think spending so little time on it is okay?
Examples from 김연희 2020:
이렇게 조금 먹어서야 되겠니?
Do you really think eating this little is okay?
목소리가 그렇게 작아서야 되겠는가?
Should your voice really be that quiet?
백수여서야 되겠습니까?
Can you really afford to be unemployed?
좋은 성적을 못 받아서야 되겠니?
Is it really okay to not get good grades?
명절인데 고향에 가지 않아서야 되겠니?
It’s a holiday—should you really not go to your hometown?
Additional details
Tone
• In the “only after” usage (ii), there’s an emphasis on 어서야 to highlight the condition’s necessity.
Associated grammar
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See also
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Bibliography
— Kingdom, L. (2015). Essential Korean Grammar: Your Essential Guide to Speaking and Writing Korean Fluently!. Singapore: Tuttle Publishing.
— 김연희. (2020). 한국어교육을 위한 연결 어미 ‘-아/어서야’의 기술 방안 연구 – 수사 의문문 용법을 중심으로 –. 외국어로서의 한국어교육, 59, 65-84.
— NIKL 사전, [s.v. -어서야].
— Yeon, J., & Brown, L. (2008). Korean: A Comprehensive Grammar. New York: Routledge.