haru Korean › Grammar › Level 3B › V-(으)ㄹ 만하다 —그 공연은 정말 볼 만해요
V-(으)ㄹ 만하다 —그 공연은 정말 볼 만해요 — worth …ing · good enough to … — recommending, and putting up with things
Worth …ing · good enough to … — recommending, and putting up with things. Korean grammar for intermediate learners — Level 3B, lesson 7: 가야금이 사람 키만 해요 (A gayageum as tall as a person — describing shapes and feelings).
What it means
V-(으)ㄹ 만하다 says something is worth doing: 그 공연은 정말 볼 만해요 'that concert is really worth seeing'. It is your own opinion, usually from experience, so it is the natural way to recommend things: 남산 야경은 꼭 한번 구경할 만해요. After a 받침 add 을 만하다 (먹을 만해요, 읽을 만해요); after a vowel add ㄹ 만하다 (볼 만해요, 배울 만해요); a stem ending in ㄹ keeps one ㄹ (살다 → 살 만해요), and 듣다 becomes 들을 만해요. Before a noun it is -(으)ㄹ 만한 N: 볼 만한 공연 'a concert worth seeing', 쉴 만한 곳 'a decent place to rest'. The same form has a second, cooler meaning: 'good enough, bearable'. 의자가 딱딱했지만 참을 만했어요 'the seats were hard, but it was bearable', 원룸이 작지만 살 만해요 'the studio is small, but it's liveable'. So be careful with food: 먹을 만해요 can sound like 'it's edible' — to someone who cooked for you, say 정말 맛있어요. The tense goes on 만하다 (볼 만했어요), never before -(으)ㄹ. 만하다 is written joined up; N만 하다 (Grammar 1) has a space.
Forms
| Pattern | When | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -을 만해요 | 받침 O (ㄷ → ㄹ) | 먹다 + 을 만해요 → 먹을 만해요 |
| -ㄹ 만해요 | 받침 X · ㄹ (ㄹ은 하나) | 보다 + ㄹ 만해요 → 볼 만해요 |
Key points
- V-(으)ㄹ 만하다 = worth …ing: 받침 → 을 만해요 (먹을 만해요 · 읽을 만해요) · no 받침 or ㄹ → ㄹ 만해요 (볼 만해요 · 살 만해요). Before a noun: 볼 만한 공연 · 쉴 만한 곳
- Second meaning — OK enough, bearable: 참을 만해요 · 지낼 만해요. Careful: to the cook, 먹을 만해요 can sound lukewarm — say 정말 맛있어요.
Examples
- 해 보니까 좋아서 다른 사람에게 추천할 때 써요: 그 공연은 정말 볼 만해요.
- 받침 O → -을 만해요: 먹을 만해요 · 읽을 만해요 · 들을 만해요(ㄷ).
- 받침 X · ㄹ → -ㄹ 만해요: 볼 만해요 · 가 볼 만해요 · 살 만해요(ㄹ은 하나만).
- 아주 좋지는 않지만 괜찮을 때도 써요: 의자가 딱딱했지만 참을 만했어요.
- 명사 앞에서는 -(으)ㄹ 만한 N: 볼 만한 공연 · 쉴 만한 곳.
Where university textbooks teach it
This point also appears in: Seoul National University Korean 3B, lesson 16; Yonsei University Korean 3-2, lesson 12; Ewha Womans University Korean 3-1, lesson 5; Hongik University Korean 4A, lesson 1; Hanyang University Korean 3-1, lesson 2.
Also in this lesson
- N만 하다 —가야금이 사람 키만 해요 — as big as … · about the size of … — sizes by comparison
- A-구나 · V-는구나 · N(이)구나 —와, 가야금이 진짜 크구나! — oh, so it's …! — casual exclamations, and the 반말 endings in one place
- A/V-기로 유명하다 —이 시장은 떡이 맛있기로 유명해요 — famous for being … · well known for doing …