Might

This pattern is used to express a guess, possibility, or uncertainty about a future event or a current, unknown state. It's equivalent to saying "might," "could," or "perhaps" in English. The literal meaning is "I don't know if...", which perfectly captures the nuance of uncertainty.

Formation

Verbs/Adjectives ending in a vowel or ㄹ: Attach -ㄹ지도 몰라.

오다 (to come) → 올지도 몰라

살다 (to live) → 살지도 몰라 (ㄹ is dropped)

Verbs/Adjectives ending in a consonant: Attach -을지도 몰라.

먹다 (to eat) → 먹을지도 몰라

좋다 (to be good) → 좋을지도 몰라

Nouns: Attach -(이)ㄹ지도 몰라.

Noun ending in a vowel + -ㄹ지도 몰라: 거짓말 → 거짓말일지도 몰라

Noun ending in a consonant + -일지도 몰라: 사실 → 사실일지도 몰라

Usage

Use this pattern when you are making a conjecture about something you aren't sure about. It's a very common and natural way to express possibility in everyday conversation.

비가 올지도 몰라. / 맛집일지도 몰라. / 늦을지도 몰라. / 자리가 없을지도 몰라.

To say that something "might not" happen or "might not be" the case, you can use negative markers like 안, 못, or the verb 없다.

Using 안 (Might not...)

Place 안 before the verb or adjective to negate the action or state. This expresses the possibility of something not happening.

안 오다 → 안 올지도 몰라요. (He might not come.)

Using 못 (Might not be able to...)

Place 못 before the verb to express the possibility of being unable to do something.

못 가다 → 못 갈지도 몰라요. (I might not be able to go.)

Using 없다 (Might not exist)

To speculate about the absence of something, use the verb 없다.

자리가 없다 → 자리가 없을지도 몰라요. (There might be no seats.)

안 올지도 몰라요. / 못 갈지도 몰라요. / 자리가 없을지도 몰라요. / 안 그럴지도 몰라.