Hesitating whether to

This pattern is used to express hesitation or indecision about whether to perform an action. It literally translates to "shall I do it, or shall I not?" and perfectly captures the feeling of being on the fence.

Meaning & Usage

Meaning: "whether to... or not," "should I... or shouldn't I?"

When to use: Use it when you are contemplating a choice between doing an action and not doing it. It's often used when thinking out loud or telling someone about your internal debate.

Formation

This pattern attaches directly to a verb stem.

Verb stems ending in a vowel or ㄹ: Add -ㄹ까 말까

가다 (to go) → 갈까 말까

사다 (to buy) → 살까 말까

만들다 (to make) → 만들까 말까

Verb stems ending in a consonant: Add -을까 말까

먹다 (to eat) → 먹을까 말까

입다 (to wear) → 입을까 말까

먹을까 말까 고민 중이야. / 살까 말까 할 땐 사지 마. / 갈까 말까 하다가 안 갔어.

While -(으)ㄹ까 말까 expresses the core hesitation, it's almost always followed by another verb that describes the state of thinking or debating. Learning these common pairings will make your speech sound much more natural.

Common Verbs

고민하다 / 고민 중이다: This is the most common partner, meaning "to contemplate" or "to be in the middle of debating."

회사를 그만둘까 말까 고민 중이야. (I'm debating whether to quit my job.)

하다: Often used in the form -(으)ㄹ까 말까 하다가... to mean "I was debating whether to... and then..." It connects your hesitation to a final decision or outcome.

갈까 말까 하다가 안 갔어요. (I was debating whether to go, but in the end, I didn't.)

망설이다: This means "to hesitate."

누를까 말까 망설였어. (I hesitated whether to press it or not.)

생각 중이다: This means "to be thinking about."

배울까 말까 생각 중이에요. (I'm thinking about whether to learn it or not.)