-(으)래서야

Short for -(으)라고 해서야: 'if (someone) tells people to V like this, (how can that be right?)'. It objects to an unreasonable order or demand and is followed by a rhetorical question or criticism.

인용·전달Quoting & reporting

Han: -(으)래서야 introduces an objection, so it needs a rhetorical question or a negative judgement after it, not a neutral statement.

Examples

열이 이렇게 나는 사람한테 계속 일하래서야 말이 돼요?Telling someone with such a high fever to keep working — does that make any sense?

들어온 지 하루밖에 안 된 신입 사원에게 야근을 하래서야 되겠습니까?Is it right to tell a new employee who joined just yesterday to work overtime?

학생들에게 정답만 외우래서야 어떻게 창의력이 길러지겠는가.If students are told only to memorise the right answers, how is creativity supposed to develop?

Don’t mix up

-(으)래서야vs-아/어서야 (되겠어요?)-아/어서야 criticises an action or state itself: 이렇게 늦어서야 되겠어요? -(으)래서야 criticises someone's demand: 이렇게 늦게까지 일하래서야 되겠어요?

-(으)래서야vs-(으)라니(요)-(으)라니(요) is a shocked echo of an order just heard: 이걸 오늘 다 하라니요! -(으)래서야 argues why such an order is wrong: 이걸 오늘 다 하래서야 누가 하겠어요?

How to build it

V+(으)래서야 (consonant stem + 으래서야; vowel or ㄹ stem + 래서야)

하다 → 하래서야; 외우다 → 외우래서야; 읽다 → 읽으래서야; 만들다 → 만들래서야; 참다 → 참으래서야

It always quotes a command (V + (으)라), usually from a boss, a rule, parents or society; the person who must obey is someone else or the speaker.
The second part is a rhetorical question or a negative judgement: 되겠어요?, 말이 돼요?, 누가 하겠어요?, 곤란하다.
Spoken and critical; in writing use the full -(으)라고 해서야. Parallel contractions: -(느)ㄴ대서야 for statements (포기한대서야); the noun form N(이)래서야 is a separate -래서야.

Classic mistake

Wrong: ~~하루 만에 이 책을 다 읽으래서야 할 수 있어요.~~

Right: 하루 만에 이 책을 다 읽으래서야 누가 할 수 있겠어요?

-(으)래서야 introduces an objection, so it needs a rhetorical question or a negative judgement after it, not a neutral statement.

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