-(으)려야 -(으)ㄹ 수가 없다

Says that something cannot be done, no matter how much you might intend or try to do it.

능력·허락·의무Can, may & must

Han: The ending is -(으)려야 attached directly to the stem; adding an extra ㄹ (잊을려야) is a common but nonstandard spelling.

Examples

그 아이는 워낙 착해서 미워하려야 미워할 수가 없어요.That child is so good-natured that you couldn't dislike him even if you tried.

그때는 돈이 한 푼도 없어서 책을 사려야 살 수가 없었다.Back then I didn't have a single penny, so I couldn't buy books even if I wanted to.

옆집이 너무 시끄러워서 잠을 자려야 잘 수가 없었어요.The neighbors were so noisy that I couldn't sleep no matter how hard I tried.

그날의 감동은 잊으려야 잊을 수가 없어요.I couldn't forget how moved I was that day even if I tried.

Don’t mix up

-(으)려야 -(으)ㄹ 수가 없다vs-고 싶어도 -(으)ㄹ 수가 없다-고 싶어도 states a wish that can't be fulfilled; -(으)려야 stresses that even an attempt is impossible and sounds more emphatic: 가고 싶어도 갈 수가 없어요 vs 잊으려야 잊을 수가 없어요.

-(으)려야 -(으)ㄹ 수가 없다vs-(으)ㄹ 수밖에 없다-(으)ㄹ 수밖에 없다 means you are forced to do it; -(으)려야 -(으)ㄹ 수가 없다 means you cannot do it at all: 웃을 수밖에 없었다 vs 웃으려야 웃을 수가 없었다.

How to build it

V+(으)려야+same V+(으)ㄹ 수가 없다

잊다 → 잊으려야 잊을 수가 없어요; 자다 → 자려야 잘 수가 없었어요

Usually the same verb is repeated in both parts (잊으려야 잊을…, 자려야 잘…).
Used with action verbs that express intention; adjectives do not take this pattern.
Tense goes only on the final 없다 (잘 수가 없었어요); the first verb takes no tense marker.
The standard spelling is -(으)려야; the colloquial -(으)ㄹ려야 / -(으)ㄹ래야 is nonstandard and should be avoided in writing.

Classic mistake

Wrong: ~~그 일은 잊을려야 잊을 수가 없어요.~~

Right: 그 일은 잊으려야 잊을 수가 없어요.

The ending is -(으)려야 attached directly to the stem; adding an extra ㄹ (잊을려야) is a common but nonstandard spelling.

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