-느니만 못하다
worse than not doing it at all
Judges an action to fall below the alternative of doing nothing. Built on -느니, and a favourite in proverbs and stern advice.
Build it
Pick a verb
When to use it
Attach -느니만 못하다 to a verb stem; ㄹ drops, giving 만드느니만 못하다. No tense goes in front.
The structure sets a subject against a standard: 어설프게 하는 것은 안 하느니만 못하다 — doing it badly is worse than not doing it. What comes before is judged inferior to what follows.
The commonest frame is 안 -느니만 못하다, comparing against inaction. That is where the phrase gets its bite.
It is written and sententious. In speech, 안 하는 게 낫다 says the same thing plainly.
How to attach it
| Situation | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | -느니만 못하다 | 하다 → 하느니만 못하다 |
| Ends in ㄹ | ㄹ drops | 만들다 → 만드느니만 못하다 |
| Commonest frame | 안 -느니만 못하다 | 안 하느니만 못하다 |
| What is judged | the subject before it | 어설프게 하는 것은 … |
| Never takes tense | plain stem only | 했느니만 못하다 is wrong |
| Spoken version | 안 하는 게 낫다 | 그냥 안 하는 게 나아요 |
In use
어설프게 하는 것은 안 하느니만 못하다.
Doing it half-well is worse than not doing it at all.
성의 없는 선물은 주지 않느니만 못합니다.
A gift given without care is worse than no gift.
잘못된 정보는 모르느니만 못하다.
Wrong information is worse than none.
억지로 하는 사과는 하지 않느니만 못해요.
An apology forced out is worse than no apology.
대충 만드느니만 못한 결과가 나왔다.
The result was worse than if it had been thrown together.
불편한 침묵은 말을 꺼내느니만 못했다.
The awkward silence was worse than speaking would have been.
Compared with
-느니
-느니 picks the lesser of two evils; -느니만 못하다 delivers a verdict on which is worse. Same root, different move.
기다리느니 걷겠다. (I’d sooner walk) / 안 하느니만 못하다. (worse than nothing)
-는 게 낫다
Same judgement, opposite framing. -는 게 낫다 names the better option; -느니만 못하다 condemns the worse one.
안 하는 게 나아요. (better not to) / 안 하느니만 못하다. (worse than not doing)
-만 못하다
With a noun, 만 못하다 simply compares: 작년만 못하다, 예전만 못하다. -느니만 못하다 is that pattern applied to a clause.
작년만 못해요. (not as good as last year) / 안 하느니만 못해요. (worse than not doing)
Watch out
대충 만들느니만 못한 결과가 나왔다.
대충 만드느니만 못한 결과가 나왔다.
Stems ending in ㄹ drop it before -느니, as they do before -는 and -나.
어설프게 했느니만 못하다.
어설프게 하는 것은 안 하느니만 못하다.
-느니 never carries tense, and the sentence needs a subject to be judged against the standard.
야, 그거 안 하느니만 못해.
야, 그거 그냥 안 하는 게 나아.
The phrase is sententious and written. In casual speech it sounds like quoting a proverb.
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