TOPIK II · LEVEL 6

-기로서니

-기로서니 grants that something is true but argues it still does not justify someone's excessive reaction or behaviour, usually as a reproach.

대조·양보Contrast & concession

Han: -기로서니 cannot be followed by a request or command; it expects a reproachful rhetorical question or judgment, so a neutral concessive like -더라도 is needed here.

Examples

돈이 많기로서니 사람을 그렇게 무시해도 되는 거예요?Just because he has a lot of money, is it okay to look down on people like that?
아무리 화가 났기로서니 아이한테 그렇게 소리를 지르면 안 되지요.Even if you were angry, you shouldn't yell at a child like that.
아무리 친한 사이이기로서니 남의 일기를 몰래 읽으면 되겠어?Even if you're close, is it right to secretly read someone else's diary?
아무리 바쁘기로서니 어머니 생신을 잊어버리면 어떡하니?However busy you are, how could you forget your mother's birthday?

Don’t mix up

-기로서니vs-더라도-더라도 is a neutral concession that allows any ending, including commands; -기로서니 carries reproach and no command: 바쁘더라도 꼭 전화하세요.
-기로서니vs-ㄴ다고 해서-ㄴ다고 해서 denies that a fact leads to a conclusion; -기로서니 criticizes a person's reaction: 돈이 많다고 해서 행복한 건 아니에요.

How to build it

V/A+기로서니
V/A+았/었기로서니 (past)
N+(이)기로서니

바쁘다 → 바쁘기로서니, 화가 나다 → 화가 났기로서니, 친구 → 친구이기로서니

  1. The second clause is usually a rhetorical question or a disapproving statement (어떻게 ~어요?, ~면 안 되지요, ~ㄹ 수가 있어요?).
  2. It does not combine with imperative or propositive endings; for neutral 'even if, do X' use -더라도 or -아/어도.
  3. It is very often preceded by 아무리, and 그렇기로서니 is common as a standalone retort; future -겠- is not used before it.

Classic mistake

Wrong: 아무리 바쁘기로서니 내일은 꼭 전화하세요.

Right: 아무리 바쁘더라도 내일은 꼭 전화하세요.

-기로서니 cannot be followed by a request or command; it expects a reproachful rhetorical question or judgment, so a neutral concessive like -더라도 is needed here.

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More level 6 grammar

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