-어야
-eoya
only if; not until
Attaches to a verb or adjective stem to show that the preceding condition is essential for what follows—'only if/not until.' With a following 보다/봐야, it can also mean a hypothetical outcome ultimately makes no difference.
Form
- Attaches to
- Verb, Adjective, Auxiliary
- Other shapes
- -아야 · -여야 · -어야만 · -아야만 · -여야만
Meanings
- 1
A connective ending used when the preceding statement is an essential condition for the following statement.
앞에 오는 말이 뒤에 오는 말에 대한 필수적인 조건임을 나타내는 연결 어미.
- 2
A connective ending used when the preceding assumption has no influence in the end.
앞에서 가정한 것이 결국에는 아무 영향이 없음을 나타내는 연결 어미.
Examples
백화점은 평일에 가야 사람이 적어 쇼핑하기가 편하다.
You have to go to the department store on a weekday for there to be few people and comfortable shopping.
지수는 아직 어려서 부모님의 허락을 받아야 여행을 갈 수 있다.
Jisu is still young, so she can only go on a trip if she gets her parents' permission.
내일은 지하철을 타고 가니 평소보다 일찍 일어나야 지각하지 않을 수 있다.
Tomorrow I'm taking the subway, so I have to get up earlier than usual to not be late.
조용히 해 달라고 말해 봐야 소용이 없어.
It's no use even asking them to be quiet.
자식 키워 봐야 결혼해 버리면 쓸데없다더니!
They say raising kids is pointless once they get married and leave anyway!
네가 아무리 소리쳐 봐야 여기는 아무도 없어.
No matter how much you shout, there's no one here.
Examples: 한국어기초사전, CC BY-SA 2.0 KR.
Don’t confuse with
Forms with a close meaning — a favourite source of wrong answers on TOPIK.
Quick check
1. What does ‘-어야’ mean?
2. Which form means “only if; not until”?