How To Say It's Futile Or There's No Point In Korean (봤자)
In Korean, the grammatical structure A/V+ 해 봤자 is a powerful means to convey the idea that an action or situation is futile.
Often paired with 소용없다 (it’s of no use) or 안 되다 (it can’t be done), this form emphasizes the inevitable or unchangeable nature of a given circumstance.
Example sentences
그에게 말해 봤자 소용없어요. 그는 듣지 않아요.
It's no use talking to him. He doesn't listen.
It's no use talking to him. He doesn't listen.
지금 지하철역에 가 봤자 막차는 이미 출발 했을 거예요.
There's no point in going to the subway station now; the last train will have already departed.
There's no point in going to the subway station now; the last train will have already departed.
청소해 봤자 아이들이 오자마자 금방 더러워질 거에요.
It's futile to clean; it'll just become messy again as soon as the kids arrive.
It's futile to clean; it'll just become messy again as soon as the kids arrive.
아무리 노력해 봤자 안 돼요.
No matter how hard you try, it won't work.
No matter how hard you try, it won't work.
매표소에 가 봤자 표가 매진되어 버렸을 거예요.
There's no use in going to the ticket booth; the tickets are likely already sold out.
There's no use in going to the ticket booth; the tickets are likely already sold out.
그 남자를 안 좋아하는 척해 봤자 아무도 말을 믿지 않아요.
There's no point in pretending not to like that guy; no one believes you anyway.
There's no point in pretending not to like that guy; no one believes you anyway.
그 여자와 얘기해 봤자 시간낭비에요.
Talking to her is a waste of time.
Talking to her is a waste of time.
아무리 여기서 기다려 봤자 그 여자는 오지 않을 거예요.
It's pointless to wait here; she won't come.
It's pointless to wait here; she won't come.
Using A/V+ 해 봤자 in daily conversations is a concise way to express the inevitability or pointlessness of a situation or action.
It’s a structure that can efficiently capture the nuances of the speaker’s feelings toward a particular situation.
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