intermediate
Says there's no other option, or that something is bound to be so: 갈 수밖에 없어요 (gal subakke eopseoyo), "I have no choice but to go".
Checked against the official learner dictionary from the National Institute of Korean Language
- After a vowel or ㄹ: ㄹ 수밖에 없다. After other consonants: 을 수밖에 없다.
- 수밖에 is one word: 수 su + 밖에 bakke, "nothing but".
Build it
When to use it
No other option
Everything else is ruled out.
Of course
Often with adjectives: it's bound to be.
Accepting it
Nothing else you can do.
Watch out
수밖에 is written as one word.
After ㄹ, there's no 을: 만들 mandeul.
In context
9 examples- 1
차가 없어서 걸어갈 수밖에 없었어요.
Chaga eopseoseo georeogal subakke eopseosseoyo.
I didn't have a car, so I had no choice but to walk.
- 2
돈이 없으니까 참을 수밖에 없어요.
Doni eopseunikka chameul subakke eopseoyo.
I don't have money, so I just have to put up with it.
- 3
매일 연습하니까 잘할 수밖에 없죠.
Maeil yeonseupanikka jalhal subakke eopjyo.
She practices every day, so of course she's good.
- 4
비가 너무 많이 와서 집에 있을 수밖에 없었어요.
Biga neomu mani waseo jibe isseul subakke eopseosseoyo.
It rained so hard that I had to stay home.
- 5
다들 바빠서 제가 할 수밖에 없어요.
Dadeul bappaseo jega hal subakke eopseoyo.
Everyone's busy, so it has to be me.
- 6
길이 막혀서 늦을 수밖에 없었어요.
Giri makyeoseo neujeul subakke eopseosseoyo.
The roads were jammed, so I couldn't help being late.
- 7
그렇게 많이 먹으면 배가 아플 수밖에 없지.
Geureoke mani meogeumyeon baega apeul subakke eopji.
If you eat that much, of course your stomach's going to hurt.
- 8
버스가 끊겨서 걸어갈 수밖에 없었어요.
Beoseuga kkeunkyeoseo georeogal subakke eopseosseoyo.
The buses had stopped running, so I had to walk.
- 9
그렇게 열심히 했으니까 합격할 수밖에 없어요.
Geureoke yeolsimhi haesseunikka hapgyeokal subakke eopseoyo.
You worked so hard, you're bound to pass.
Practice
8 questions가다 + (으)ㄹ 수밖에 없다
수밖에 없다 or 아/어야 하다?
아/어야 하다 says you have to do something. (으)ㄹ 수밖에 없다 says every other option is gone, so it often comes with a reason:
- 내일 일찍 일어나야 해요. naeil iljjik ireonaya haeyo "I have to get up early tomorrow."
- 첫 비행기라서 일찍 일어날 수밖에 없어요. cheot bihaenggiraseo iljjik ireonal subakke eopseoyo "It's the first flight, so I've got no choice but to get up early."
The 밖에 in it is the same one from 밖에: "nothing but", always followed by a negative.
Look it up in the dictionary
The entry for 으ㄹ 수밖에 없다 in two trusted Korean dictionaries.