Worse than doing

This pattern expresses that the outcome of an action is so negative that it would have been better not to do it at all. It literally translates to "is not as good as not doing it."

Meaning & Usage

Meaning: "Doing [Verb] is worse than not doing it," or "It's better not to [Verb]."

When to use: Use it to express strong regret or negative judgment about an action's result. It implies the action was counterproductive.

Formation

Attach -느니만 못하다 directly to the stem of an action verb.

Vowel stem: 가다 (to go) → 가 + -느니만 못하다 → 가느니만 못하다

Consonant stem: 먹다 (to eat) → 먹 + -느니만 못하다 → 먹느니만 못하다

ㄹ-ending stem: 만들다 (to make) → 만들 (drop ㄹ) + -느니만 못하다 → 만드느니만 못하다

하느니만 못해. / 아느니만 못해. / 도와주느니만 못해. / 먹느니만 못해.

You can use this pattern in both the present and past tenses to distinguish between a general truth and a specific past regret.

Present Tense: -느니만 못하다

This form is used for general statements or to describe a current situation where an action is proving to be a bad idea. It's a judgment that doing something is or would be worse than not doing it.

치료하느니만 못해. (The treatment is worse than no treatment.)

Past Tense: -느니만 못했다

This form is used to look back on a completed action and express regret. The outcome was bad, and you now believe it was a mistake to have done it.

고치느니만 못했어. (Fixing it was worse than not fixing it. I shouldn't have fixed it.)

말하느니만 못했어요. (It would have been better if I hadn't said anything.)

고치느니만 못했어. / 말하느니만 못했어요. / 충고하느니만 못했어. / 만나느니만 못했어요.

The core pattern -느니만 못하- stays the same, while the final ending determines the politeness level. This pattern carries a strong, critical nuance, so even in its polite form, it should be used with care.