-(으)ㄹ지도 모르다
might, may, it’s possible that
Used when the speaker raises something as a real possibility without committing to it — often as a warning or a hedge.
Build it
Pick a stem
When to use it
This is the form Korean speakers reach for when something could happen and they want you to keep it in mind. It carries no claim that it will — only that it is possible enough to be worth mentioning. That is why it so often appears in warnings, paired with -(으)니까: 비가 올지도 모르니까 우산을 가져가세요.
It also works as a hedge. Stating something plainly can sound too certain, and softening it with -(으)ㄹ지도 모르다 leaves the speaker room to be wrong. The literal make-up of the phrase says exactly this: 모르다 means not know, so the whole thing reads as “I do not know whether it will.” The confidence level sits lower than -(으)ㄹ 것 같다, which leans toward believing it is so.
How to attach it
| Stem type | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Ends in a vowel | -ㄹ지도 모르다 | 가다 → 갈지도 몰라요 |
| Ends in a consonant | -을지도 모르다 | 먹다 → 먹을지도 몰라요 |
| Ends in ㄹ | -지도 모르다 | 만들다 → 만들지도 몰라요 |
| Noun | 일지도 모르다 | 학생 → 학생일지도 몰라요 |
| Past tense | -았/었을지도 모르다 | 가다 → 갔을지도 몰라요 |
| ㅂ irregular | -울지도 모르다 | 어렵다 → 어려울지도 몰라요 |
| ㄷ irregular | -을지도 모르다 | 듣다 → 들을지도 몰라요 |
In use
지금 출발하면 늦을지도 몰라요.
If we leave now we might be late.
비가 올지도 모르니까 우산을 가져가세요.
It might rain, so take an umbrella.
그 사람은 벌써 집에 갔을지도 몰라요.
He might have already gone home.
이 문제는 생각보다 어려울지도 모르겠어요.
This problem might be harder than I thought.
저분이 새로 오신 선생님일지도 몰라요.
That person might be the new teacher.
시험에 이 부분이 나올지도 모르니까 꼭 외우세요.
This part might come up on the test, so be sure to memorize it.
Compared with
-(으)ㄹ 수도 있다
States that a possibility objectively exists. Neutral, and comfortable in writing or formal explanation. -(으)ㄹ지도 모르다 adds the speaker’s own uncertainty, which is why it fits warnings better.
이 약은 졸릴 수도 있어요. (a known side effect) / 이 약은 졸릴지도 몰라요. (I am warning you just in case)
-(으)ㄹ 것 같다
The speaker has evidence and is leaning toward believing it. Confidence is noticeably higher than -(으)ㄹ지도 모르다, which stays at bare possibility.
비가 올 것 같아요. (looking at the clouds) / 비가 올지도 몰라요. (no idea, but be ready)
-(으)ㄹ지 모르다
Dropping 도 is possible and the meaning barely shifts. With 도 the possibility is presented as one option among others, so it sounds slightly more tentative.
늦을지 몰라요. ≈ 늦을지도 몰라요.
Watch out
갈지도 몰랐어요.
갔을지도 몰라요.
To say might have gone, the past tense goes on the first verb, not on 모르다. Putting it on 모르다 changes the meaning entirely to “I did not know.” This is the single most common error for English speakers translating “might have.”
학생지도 몰라요.
학생일지도 몰라요.
A noun cannot take the ending directly. It needs the copula 이다 first, which gives 일지도.
만들을지도 몰라요.
만들지도 몰라요.
Stems ending in ㄹ already supply the ㄹ, so 을 is not added. The same applies to 살다, 알다, 놀다.
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