Let's learn how to use the V/A+(으)ㄹ 리가 없다 Korean Grammar with some simple and easy-to-understand example sentences.
V/A+(으)ㄹ 리가 없다 – “There’s no way that… / It’s impossible that…”
USE:
“There’s no way that… / It’s impossible that…”
Used when the speaker strongly believes something cannot happen or cannot be true. It shows strong disbelief or certainty that something is not possible.
CONJUGATION RULE
Attach to verb/adjective stems.
Ends in a vowel → -ㄹ 리가 없다
- 오다 → 올 리가 없다 (There’s no way they’d come)
Ends in a consonant → -을 리가 없다
- 먹다 → 먹을 리가 없다 (There’s no way they’d eat it)
Adjectives work the same way:
- 비싸다 → 비쌀 리가 없다 (No way it's expensive)
EXAMPLE SENTENCES:
1. 그 사람이 늦을 리가 없어요.
→ There’s no way that person would be late.
2. 이게 그렇게 비쌀 리가 없어요.
→ There’s no way this is that expensive.
3. 너가 시험을 못 봤을 리가 없어!
→ There’s no way you did badly on the exam!
4. 밖에 이렇게 조용할 리가 없는데…
→ There’s no way it should be this quiet outside…
5. 그 뉴스가 사실일 리가 없어요.
→ There’s no way that news is true.
Additional Notes
- Stronger than “안 그럴 거예요” → this one means “NO WAY.”
- Often used when facts or intuition make something seem impossible.
- Can be used in past forms when the context makes it clear:
- 왔을 리가 없어요 → There’s no way they came.
