How To Say 'There's No Way' / 'It Can't Be' In Korean (을 리가 없다)

The grammar pattern V + 을/를 리가 없다 is used to express strong disbelief or incredulity regarding what has happened, is happening, or will happen.

The term comes from the Hanja , which signifies ‘logic,’ ‘reason,’ or ‘possibility.’

Example sentences using 을 리가 없다

내일까지는 숙제를 끝낼 수 있을 리가 없어요!
There's no way that you'll finish your homework by tomorrow!
그는 그것을 몰랐을 리가 없어요.
It can't be that he doesn't know. Everybody knows.
오늘은 결혼 기념일인데 잊어 버릴 리가 없죠?!
It can't be that my wife would forget that today is our anniversary, can it?!
그 선수는 약물을 복용하지 않았을 리가 없어요!
There's no way that athlete didn't take drugs!
수능일이니까 지각할 리가 없어요.
It's the day of the Suneung so there's no way he'd be late for school.

Usage notes

This structure is particularly useful for expressing strong disbelief or impossibility about something, usually in a negative sense.

In other words, it allows you to stress that something simply cannot or could not have happened according to logic or reason.

Conclusion

Understanding how to use 을 리가 없다 will help you articulate disbelief or emphasize the impossibility of certain situations, thereby making your speech more nuanced and expressive.

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