-(으)ㄹ까 말까 하다
be in two minds about
Weighing whether to do something or not. The form literally sets the two options against each other — do it, don’t do it — and leaves you hovering.
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When to use it
Attachment is the standard rule with the ㄹ short form: 만들다 gives 만들까 말까. It takes action verbs only.
The hesitation is normally your own, and 하다 can be swapped for 고민하다 or 망설이다: 갈까 말까 고민했어요.
A second use describes something on the edge of perception or measurement: 들릴까 말까 한 소리 — a sound barely audible. Here the modifier form -(으)ㄹ까 말까 한 attaches to a noun.
Compare -(으)ㄹ까 하다, which is a loose plan leaning toward doing it. Adding 말까 removes the lean and leaves genuine indecision.
How to attach it
| Stem type | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Ends in a vowel | -ㄹ까 말까 | 가다 → 갈까 말까 |
| Ends in a consonant | -을까 말까 | 먹다 → 먹을까 말까 |
| Ends in ㄹ | nothing added | 만들다 → 만들까 말까 |
| With other verbs | 고민하다, 망설이다 | 갈까 말까 고민했어요 |
| Before a noun | -(으)ㄹ까 말까 한 | 들릴까 말까 한 소리 |
| Leaning toward doing | -(으)ㄹ까 하다 | 갈까 해요 |
In use
모임에 갈까 말까 아직도 고민 중이에요.
I’m still torn about whether to go to the gathering.
살까 말까 한참 망설이다가 그냥 나왔어요.
I dithered for ages over buying it and came away empty-handed.
말할까 말까 하다가 결국 말했습니다.
I hesitated over saying it and ended up saying it anyway.
직접 만들까 말까 고민하고 있어요.
I’m weighing up whether to make it myself.
들릴까 말까 한 소리로 대답했어요.
She answered in a voice barely audible.
보일까 말까 할 정도로 흐릿했습니다.
It was so faint you could only just make it out.
Compared with
-(으)ㄹ까 하다
-(으)ㄹ까 하다 is a soft plan already tilted toward doing it. Adding 말까 restores the balance and states real indecision.
갈까 해요. (I’m thinking of going) / 갈까 말까 해요. (I can’t decide)
-(으)ㄴ/는지
-(으)ㄹ지 -지 embeds an indirect question; -(으)ㄹ까 말까 is a set phrase specifically for a yes-or-no dilemma.
갈지 안 갈지 모르겠어요. (I don’t know if I’ll go) / 갈까 말까 고민이에요. (I’m torn)
-(으)ㄹ까 말까 한
The modifier form describes something at the threshold of being perceived or measured — barely audible, barely visible.
갈까 말까 해요. (I’m torn) / 들릴까 말까 한 소리 (barely audible)
Watch out
직접 만들을까 말까 고민하고 있어요.
직접 만들까 말까 고민하고 있어요.
A stem ending in ㄹ already supplies it, as with 만들 거예요 and 만들 뿐이다.
예쁠까 말까 고민이에요.
살까 말까 고민이에요.
The construction weighs an action you might take. Adjectives describe states, not choices.
들릴까 말까 소리로 대답했어요.
들릴까 말까 한 소리로 대답했어요.
Before a noun the phrase needs 한, since it is functioning as a modifier.
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