Can't be true

This pattern is used to express strong disbelief or denial, asserting that something is impossible or makes no logical sense. It's much stronger than a simple negation; it implies there is no reason or possibility for the preceding statement to be true.

Meaning & Usage

Meaning: "There's no way...", "It can't be that...", "It's impossible that..."

Structure: It combines a verb or adjective stem with -(으)ㄹ 리가 없다.

-(으)ㄹ: A particle indicating a future action, possibility, or reason.

리: A noun meaning 'reason', 'cause', or 'possibility'.

가: The subject particle.

없다: To not exist.

Literal Translation: "The reason/possibility of [verb/adjective] does not exist."

Formation Rules

Vowel Stem: Add -ㄹ 리가 없다.

가다 (to go) → 갈 리가 없다

비싸다 (to be expensive) → 비쌀 리가 없다

Consonant Stem: Add -을 리가 없다.

먹다 (to eat) → 먹을 리가 없다

없다 (to not exist) → 없을 리가 없다

Nouns: Attach -(이)ㄹ 리가 없다 to the noun.

거짓말 (a lie) → 거짓말일 리가 없다

학생 (a student) → 학생일 리가 없다

그럴 리가 없어. / 걔가 나를 좋아할 리가 없어. / 그렇게 비쌀 리가 없어. / 거짓말일 리가 없어.

This pattern is versatile and can be used to talk about past events. It also frequently appears in double-negative constructions to make a strong positive claim.

Past Tense: -았/었을 리가 없다

To express disbelief about something that happened in the past, insert the past tense marker -았/었- before -을 리가 없다. This is a very common usage.

Structure: Verb Stem + -았/었- + -을 리가 없다

Example: 떨어지다 (to fail) → 떨어졌을 리가 없다 (There's no way I failed.)

Double Negatives for Strong Affirmation

When you use -을/ㄹ 리가 없다 with a negative verb like 모르다 (to not know) or 없다 (to not exist), you create a double negative. This results in a very strong positive statement.

모를 리가 없어. → "There's no way he doesn't know." → He definitely knows.

지갑이 여기 없을 리가 없어. → "There's no way the wallet isn't here." → The wallet must be here.

떨어졌을 리가 없어. / 까먹었을 리가 없어. / 모를 리가 없어. / 지갑이 여기 없을 리가 없어.

Learners often confuse -을/ㄹ 리가 없다 with other patterns that express impossibility. The key difference is the type of impossibility.

vs. -을/ㄹ 수가 없다 (Inability)

-을/ㄹ 리가 없다: Expresses logical impossibility or disbelief. It's about your judgment that something makes no sense.

그렇게 비쌀 리가 없어요. (There's no way it's that expensive. That price is illogical.)

-을/ㄹ 수가 없다: Expresses physical or circumstantial inability. It means you lack the ability, time, or means to do something.

너무 비싸서 살 수가 없어요. (It's too expensive, so I can't buy it.)

vs. -지 않을 것이다 (Simple Negation)

-을/ㄹ 리가 없다: A very strong, emotional denial.

그 사람이 안 올 리가 없어요. (There's no way he won't come! I'm certain he will.)

-지 않을 것이다 / 안 -을 것이다: A simple prediction or guess about the future. It's much weaker.

그 사람은 안 올 거예요. (He probably won't come.)

그 사람이 했을 리가 없어. / 너무 어려워서 할 수가 없어. / 그가 안 올 리가 없어.

You can easily adjust the politeness level of this pattern by changing the ending 없다.

Casual Form: -을/ㄹ 리가 없어

This is the informal, or 반말, form. Use it with close friends, family, or people younger than you. It conveys a strong, direct sense of disbelief.

Example: 내가 틀렸을 리가 없어. (There's no way I was wrong.)

Polite Form: -을/ㄹ 리가 없어요

This is the standard polite 해요체 form, suitable for most everyday conversations with colleagues, acquaintances, or elders. It softens the directness while still expressing strong conviction.

Example: 제가 틀렸을 리가 없어요. (There's no way I was wrong.)

Formal Form: -을/ㄹ 리가 없습니다

While not in the practice lines, a more formal version, 없습니다, exists. You might hear this in a formal presentation, news report, or written text, but it's less common in casual conversation.

그럴 리가 없어. / 그럴 리가 없어요. / 공짜일 리가 없어. / 공짜일 리가 없어요.