-을 법하다
-eul beophada
likely to be; seems plausible
Attaches to verb/adjective stems to indicate the speaker judges that a situation is quite plausible or likely, similar to '-을 것 같다' but slightly more literary.
Form
- Attaches to
- Verb, Adjective, Auxiliary
- Other shapes
- -ㄹ 법하다
Meanings
- 1
An expression used to judge that the situation mentioned in the preceding statement is likely to happen.
앞에 오는 말이 나타내는 상황과 같을 가능성이 있다고 판단함을 나타내는 표현.
※ ‘ㄹ’을 제외한 받침 있는 동사와 형용사 또는 ‘-었-’ 뒤에 붙여 쓴다.
Examples
이것저것 물어 대는 아들이 귀찮을 법한데도 아내는 항상 친절하게 대답해 준다.
Even though her son asking all sorts of questions must be bothersome, my wife always answers him kindly.
내 실수로 일을 망쳐 원망도 했을 법한데 지수는 오히려 나를 위로해 주었다.
She could well have resented me for ruining things with my mistake, but Jisu comforted me instead.
이곳의 소나무들은 족히 삼백 년은 넘었을 법하다.
The pine trees here are likely well over three hundred years old.
산속에 있는 그 절은 겨울엔 눈 내리는 소리까지 들릴 법한 무척 조용한 곳이었다.
The temple in the mountains was such a quiet place that in winter you might even hear the snow falling.
아무리 건강한 사람이라도 나이가 들면 건강에 신경이 쓰일 법하다.
No matter how healthy someone is, it's understandable that they'd become concerned about their health as they age.
승규는 동화 속에서나 나올 법한 아름다운 마을에 살고 있다.
Seunggyu lives in a beautiful village that seems like it could be straight out of a fairy tale.
Examples: 한국어기초사전, CC BY-SA 2.0 KR.
Quick check
1. What does ‘-을 법하다’ mean?
2. Which form means “likely to be; seems plausible”?