Korean Lessons ᚛ Level 8 - Advanced Korean #1 (Lessons 211 to 240) ᚛ Lesson 240 - Hesitation, on the verge of in Korean [-(으)ㄹ락 말락 하다] [-(으)ㄹ까 말까]

Hesitation, on the verge of in Korean [-(으)ㄹ락 말락 하다] [-(으)ㄹ까 말까]

In this course: 락 말락 / ㄹ락 말락 하다 / 을락 말락 / 까 말까 / ㄹ까 말까 / 듯 말 듯 / hesitation / sur le point de

Korean likes "do, don't do" pairs to express the in-between: an action that is within a hair's breadth of happening without happening, a decision one can't make, a gesture one can barely make out. Three structures built on the modifier -(으)ㄹ and the verb 말다, "to not do", cover these nuances: -(으)ㄹ락 말락 하다, "to be on the verge of, almost", -(으)ㄹ까 말까, "to hesitate whether to", and -(으)ㄹ 듯 말 듯, "as if… or not, barely".

"To be on the verge of, almost" with -(으)ㄹ락 말락 하다

[Verb]-(으)ㄹ락 말락 하다 → 할락 말락 해요 / 했어요 / 하는데

-(으)ㄹ락 말락 하다 describes an action hovering on the edge of happening: the hand almost touches, the memory is on the tip of the tongue, the drop is about to fall. Almost nothing is missing, but the action isn't done (yet). This is what distinguishes it from -(으)ㄹ 뻔하다, studied in lesson 176: 넘어질 뻔했어요 means you nearly fell (the danger has passed), 닿을락 말락 해요 that you are in the middle of almost touching. It is used a lot for physical sensations (sneezing, sleep) and phenomena that are just starting (rain, buds). The verb 하다 is written separately: 날락 말락 하다.

너희들이 고등학교 때 이야기를 하니 기억이 날락 말락 하네.
→ Hearing you talk about high school, the memories are right there, on the verge of coming back.

갑자기 목이 간질거리고 재채기가 나올락 말락 했어요.
→ Suddenly my throat started tickling and I was on the verge of sneezing.

그 사람이 내 위로 넘어지면서 내 뺨에 그 사람의 입술이 거의 닿을락 말락 했다.
→ As he fell onto me, his lips very nearly brushed my cheek.

선반에 올려둔 컵을 꺼내려고 하는데 너무 높아서 손이 닿을락 말락 해.
→ I'm trying to get the cup down from the shelf, but it's so high that my hand can barely reach it.

잠이 들락 말락 하는데 갑자기 전화가 와서 깼어.
→ I was on the verge of falling asleep when a phone call woke me up.

갑자기 날씨가 흐려지더니 빗방울이 떨어질락 말락 합니다.
→ The sky suddenly clouded over and the first raindrops are about to fall.

작년에 꽃이 피지 않았던 화분에 이번에는 다행히 꽃봉오리가 맺힐락 말락 해.
→ In the pot that didn't bloom last year, buds are fortunately on the verge of forming this time.

기차 선반에 올려놓았던 가방이 기울어져서 떨어질락 말락 해요.
→ The bag I put on the train's luggage rack is tilting and about to fall.

봄이 되고 날씨가 좋아지자 새싹들이 파릇파릇 나올락 말락 했다.
→ With spring here and the weather improving, fresh green shoots were on the verge of sprouting.

"To hesitate whether to" with -(으)ㄹ까 말까

"As if… or not, barely" with -(으)ㄹ 듯 말 듯

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