TOPIK II · LEVEL 5
-에 달려 있다
N에 달려 있다 means that the outcome in the subject is decided by N: 'it all depends on N'.
격식 표현Formal & written phrasesHan: 에 attaches only to nouns, so a clause must be nominalized with -느냐 (or -는지, -기) before 에 달려 있다; a finite ending like 해요 cannot take 에.
Examples
이번 프로젝트의 성공 여부는 고객의 반응에 달려 있습니다.Whether this project succeeds depends on the customers' response.
행복은 결국 마음먹기에 달려 있다고 생각해요.I think happiness ultimately depends on how you set your mind.
주말에 등산을 갈지 말지는 날씨에 달려 있어요.Whether we go hiking this weekend depends on the weather.
합격하느냐 못 하느냐는 남은 한 달을 어떻게 보내느냐에 달려 있어.Whether you pass or not depends on how you spend the remaining month.
Don’t mix up
-에 달려 있다vs-에 따라 (다르다)-에 따라 is a connector showing that something varies with N, and needs another predicate; -에 달려 있다 is itself the predicate saying N decides the outcome: 사람에 따라 생각이 달라요 vs 결과는 노력에 달려 있어요.
-에 달려 있다vs-에 의존하다 / 의지하다의존하다/의지하다 mean 'rely on' for support or resources; 달려 있다 means 'is decided by': 이 나라 경제는 수출에 의존해요 vs 경제 회복은 수출에 달려 있어요.
-에 달려 있다vs-기 나름이다-기 나름이다 attaches directly to a verb and stresses 'it's up to how you do it', mostly in speech; -에 달려 있다 works with any noun factor: 공부는 하기 나름이에요 vs 결과는 날씨에 달려 있어요.How to build it
N+에 달려 있다
V+기에 / 느냐에 / 는지에 달려 있다
노력 → 노력에 달려 있다; 마음먹다 → 마음먹기에 달려 있다
- The outcome is the subject (usually marked with 은/는), and the deciding factor takes 에: 성공은 노력에 달려 있다, not the other way round.
- A verb or a whole clause must be nominalized first: -기에, -느냐에 / -(으)냐에, -는지 / -(으)ㄴ지에 달려 있다. Question words like 얼마나 and 어떻게 are very common here.
- It describes a state, so use 달려 있다 (past: 달려 있었다); 달리고 있다 is wrong in this meaning.
- It means 'is determined by', not 'relies on someone for support'; for that meaning use 의지하다 or 의존하다.
Classic mistake
Wrong: 합격은 얼마나 열심히 공부해요에 달려 있어요.
Right: 합격은 얼마나 열심히 공부하느냐에 달려 있어요.
에 attaches only to nouns, so a clause must be nominalized with -느냐 (or -는지, -기) before 에 달려 있다; a finite ending like 해요 cannot take 에.
Practise -에 달려 있다 on real TOPIK questions
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All TOPIK grammar- -(으)ㅁ에 따라Use -(으)ㅁ에 따라 in formal writing to say that as one situation changes or progresses, another change follows from it.
- -(으)ㅁ으로써-(으)ㅁ으로써 presents the first action as the means or method that brings about the result in the second clause: 'by doing A, B happens'.
- -다 (표제·제목)In headlines, titles, captions and chapter headings, a verb in its bare dictionary form (stem + 다) states an event briefly and impersonally, usually one that has just happened: 'X wins', 'X opens'.
- -에 걸쳐-에 걸쳐 shows that an action or state stretches over a whole span of time, an area, or a series of occasions.
- -에 이르기까지N에 이르기까지 marks the far end of a wide range, stressing that everything from one point all the way to N is included.
- -을/를 두고N을/를 두고 marks the issue that people argue about, debate, worry over or judge, like 'over / concerning N'.
- -을/를 계기로N을/를 계기로 means that an event or experience became the turning point that started a new action, decision or change.
- -을/를 비롯해N을/를 비롯해 puts the most important or representative member of a group first and then includes the others: 'including, above all, from N to the rest'.
- -을/를 바탕으로N을/를 바탕으로 means using N as the foundation or source material for creating, developing or judging something.