【-ㄹ 수 있다/없다】What grammar is useful for expressing possible and impossible?

When you want to express “what you can and cannot do” in Korean, the easiest grammar to use is 못.

However, there is a limit to what can be expressed with only 못.

In this issue, let’s learn the grammar that can be used in such cases.

Sentences expressing possible and impossible.

Some things cannot be expressed in the 못.

못 하다 indicates “I can’t ~”, but on the contrary, how should I express it when I want to say “I can ~”?

When you want to say “I can’t do it” for some reason, you can use 못 하다.

But when you want to say the opposite, “I can do it, it’s possible”, using 잘 makes the sentence strange.

In such cases, -ㄹ 수 있다 is useful.

【못/-지 못하다】Let’s express a negative sentence meaning impossible.

https://kininaru-korean.net/en/16695

How to use “-ㄹ 수 있다/없다”.

-ㄹ 수 있다/없다 is used with the verb stem.

-ㄹ 수 있다 means “can” and -ㄹ 수 없다 means “can not”.

No patchum in the stem

나 혼자 집에 갈 수 있어요.
I can go home by myself.
(가다)

도서관에서는 누구나 책을 빌릴 수 있습니다.
Anyone can borrow books from the library.
(빌리다)

학교를 언제 졸업할 수 있습니까?
When can you finish school?
(졸업하다)

When there is no patchum in the stem, the form -ㄹ 수 있다/없다 is used.

Have a patchum in the stem

입맛이 없어서 밥을 먹을 수 없네요.
I have no appetite and I can’t eat food.
(먹다)

가격도 싸고 편하게 묵을 수 있습니다.
Rates are inexpensive and easy to stay at.
(묵다)

혼자 와도 2인자리에 앉을 수 있어요.
You can come alone and sit in a seat for two.
(앉다)

When the word stem has a patchum, let’s make it -을 수 있다/없다.

Cases of irregular changes.

ㄹpatchum

카드키가 없으면 객실 문을 열 수 없어요.
Room doors will not open without a key card.
(열다)

Originally there is ㄹ in the patchum, so add -수 있다/없다.

Part of ㄷpatchum

한 달 동안 무료로 음악을 들을 수 있습니다.
You can listen to music free for a month.
(듣다)

The ㄷ patchum becomes ㄹ, so add -수 있다/없다 to it.

Part of ㅂpatchum

정 하고 싶으면 내가 도울 수 있어요.
If you really want to do it, I can help you.
(돕다)

The ㅂ patchum will be 우, so add -ㄹ 수 있다/없다 to it.

What other nuances are there in “ㄹ 수 있다/없다”?

It means that “have the skills”.

-ㄹ 수 있다/없다 can also mean having an ability or skill.

전 중국어로 이야기할 수 있어요.
I can speak Chinese.

In this case, it means that you have language skills.

난 오토바이를 운전할 수 있습니다.
I can ride a motorcycle.

If I say “운전할 수 있어요”, while showing my driver’s license, I am talking about having driving skills.

우리 아들은 자전거를 탈 수 없어요.
My son can’t ride a bicycle.

Conversely, using -ㄹ 수 없다 means that you do not have the skill or technique.

It can mean permission or prohibition.

-ㄹ 수 있다/없다 can also mean permission or prohibition.

건물 안에서 사진을 찍을 수 없습니다.
建物の中で写真を撮ってはいけません

여기서 수영할 수는 없어요.
Don’t swim here.

공공장소에서 술을 마실 수는 없습니다.
Drinking alcohol in public is not allowed.

All of the example sentences talk about “prohibited items”.

-ㄹ 수 있다/없다 covers a wide range of nuances, so use it more and more.