-(으)ㄹ 듯 말 듯

-(으)ㄹ 듯 말 듯 describes something hovering on the edge of happening, so it seems to happen and not happen at the same time.

나열·첨가Listing & adding

Han: The pattern takes no tense marker inside; the past tense belongs only on the final verb 웃었다.

Examples

하늘은 비가 올 듯 말 듯 잔뜩 흐려 있었다.The sky was heavily overcast, as if it might rain at any moment but didn't.

그녀는 보일 듯 말 듯 미소를 지었다.She gave a faint, barely visible smile.

정답이 떠오를 듯 말 듯 머릿속에서 계속 맴돌았다.The answer kept circling in my head, almost coming to me but not quite.

할머니는 들릴 듯 말 듯한 목소리로 내 이름을 부르셨다.My grandmother called my name in a voice I could barely hear.

-(으)ㄹ 듯 말 듯vs-(으)ㄴ/는 듯 마는 듯Means doing something half-heartedly or barely, not being on the verge of it: 아이는 밥을 먹는 듯 마는 듯했다.

V+(으)ㄹ 듯 말 듯 (+ V / 듯한 + N / 듯하다)

보일 듯 말 듯 웃었다; 들릴 듯 말 듯한 목소리

No past or future marker goes inside the pattern (not 보였을 듯 말 듯); put the tense on the final verb: 보일 듯 말 듯 웃었다.
It usually attaches to process verbs like 보이다, 들리다, 오다, 떠오르다, 닿다; it sounds odd with ordinary adjectives.
The second part is fixed as 말 듯 (from 말다); do not repeat the main verb or replace it with 안: 들릴 듯 말 듯.
It is fairly literary and descriptive; it is most common as an adverbial before a verb or as a modifier with 한 + noun.

Wrong: ~~그는 보였을 듯 말 듯 웃었다.~~

Right: 그는 보일 듯 말 듯 웃었다.

The pattern takes no tense marker inside; the past tense belongs only on the final verb 웃었다.

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