-(으)ㄹ 수밖에 없다 in Korean: “have no choice but to”
-(으)ㄹ 수밖에 없다
-(eu)l subakke eopda
have no choice but to
Intermediate · Saying what you think and feel
-(으)ㄹ 수밖에 없다 (-(eu)l subakke eopda) means "have no choice but to" or "can't help but". Literally it is "there is no way except doing ...". With adjectives and observations it can also mean "it's only natural that".
How to form it
| When | Add | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Stem ending in a vowel | + ㄹ 수밖에 없다 | 가다 → 갈 수밖에 없어요 |
| Stem ending in a consonant | + 을 수밖에 없다 | 먹다 → 먹을 수밖에 없어요 |
| Stem ending in ㄹ | no extra ㄹ, just + 수밖에 없다 | 팔다 → 팔 수밖에 없어요 |
| ㅂ-irregular stem | ㅂ becomes 우 + ㄹ 수밖에 없다 | 어렵다 → 어려울 수밖에 없어요 |
| Past situation | + (으)ㄹ 수밖에 없었다 | 타다 → 탈 수밖에 없었어요 |
How to use it
Use it when there was only one option: the last bus was gone, so you had to take a taxi. It explains that you didn't really choose.
With adjectives or when describing others, it means "naturally, of course": 이렇게 연습하니까 잘할 수밖에 없지 ("with that much practice, of course she's good").
It is made of 수 ("way, means") + 밖에 ("except, only") + 없다 ("there isn't"). Write 수밖에 as one word. Use 없어요 or 없었어요 politely and 없어 or 없었어 casually.
Examples
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Explaining a late night
Complimenting a restaurant
Praising a friend's skill
Losing an argument
Don’t mix it up with
-아/어야 하다: -아/어야 하다 means "have to" because of a rule or duty. -(으)ㄹ 수밖에 없다 means there is simply no other option left.
-(으)ㄹ 수 없다: -(으)ㄹ 수 없다 means "can't". Adding 밖에 flips the meaning: -(으)ㄹ 수밖에 없다 is "can only, have no choice but to".
Common mistakes
Reading it as "can't" because of 없다. 갈 수밖에 없어요 means "I have to go", not "I can't go".
Spacing it as 수 밖에. 밖에 is a particle here, so it attaches: 수밖에.
Want the basics first? Read Saying "can" (-(으)ㄹ 수 있다).
Questions learners ask
Is 수밖에 없다 negative?
No. It looks negative because of 없다, but 밖에 + 없다 together mean "only". So the meaning is "the only way is to ...", which is positive.
Can 수밖에 없다 mean "of course"?
Yes. When you describe a natural result, it means "it's only natural that": 비쌀 수밖에 없어요 ("of course it's expensive").