-(으)ㄹ 노릇이다
it’s a situation that leaves you helpless
Names a state of affairs you can do nothing about. 노릇 means one’s lot — and the phrase is almost always an expression of exasperation.
Build it
Pick a word
When to use it
Attachment is the standard rule with the ㄹ short form: 만들다 gives 만들 노릇이다. 노릇 is a noun and takes a space.
In practice the construction lives in a few fixed collocations built on emotion words: 답답할 노릇, 기가 막힐 노릇, 딱할 노릇, 안타까울 노릇. Learning these as units is more useful than treating it as fully productive.
The feeling is always negative — frustration, disbelief, pity. A pleasant state does not fit.
There is also a separate everyday noun 노릇 meaning a role one plays: 부모 노릇, 선생 노릇. Same word, different job.
How to attach it
| Situation | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Ends in a vowel | -ㄹ 노릇이다 | 답답하다 → 답답할 노릇이다 |
| Ends in a consonant | -을 노릇이다 | 웃다 → 웃을 노릇이다 |
| Ends in ㄹ | nothing added | 만들다 → 만들 노릇이다 |
| Set collocations | 답답할, 기가 막힐 | 딱할 노릇이다 |
| Feeling must be | negative | 기쁠 노릇이다 is wrong |
| Separate noun | 노릇 = a role | 부모 노릇 |
In use
아무리 설명해도 알아듣지 못하니 답답할 노릇이다.
However I explain it he doesn’t follow — it’s maddening.
멀쩡하던 기계가 갑자기 멈추니 기가 막힐 노릇이었다.
The machine had been fine and then simply stopped — quite unbelievable.
해마다 같은 문제가 반복되니 딱할 노릇입니다.
The same problem comes round every year — it’s a sorry state of affairs.
고쳐 봐도 소용이 없으니 안타까울 노릇이에요.
Repairs make no difference, which is a great pity.
부품이 없어 직접 만들 노릇이니 답답합니다.
With no parts available we’re left making them ourselves, which is trying.
부모 노릇이 이렇게 어려운 줄 몰랐어요.
I never knew being a parent was this hard.
Compared with
-(으)ㄹ 지경이다
지경이다 describes a state pushed to its limit; 노릇이다 describes a situation you are powerless before. Both complain, from different angles.
쓰러질 지경이에요. (about to collapse) / 답답할 노릇이에요. (nothing to be done)
-는 수밖에 없다
수밖에 없다 names the one option left; 노릇이다 does not name an option at all — it registers the frustration.
기다리는 수밖에 없어요. (only option) / 답답할 노릇이에요. (just exasperating)
Noun 노릇
The plain noun means a role one has to play, often a demanding one: 부모 노릇, 선생 노릇, 어른 노릇.
답답할 노릇이다. (a maddening situation) / 부모 노릇 (being a parent)
Watch out
합격해서 기쁠 노릇이에요.
합격해서 정말 기뻐요.
노릇이다 registers frustration or pity. A happy state calls for a plain statement.
부품이 없어 직접 만들을 노릇입니다.
부품이 없어 직접 만들 노릇입니다.
A stem ending in ㄹ already supplies it, as with 만들 거예요 and 만들 지경이다.
아무리 설명해도 답답할노릇이다.
아무리 설명해도 답답할 노릇이다.
노릇 is a noun and takes a space after the modifier.
Next
koreangrammarmap.com