TOPIK II · LEVEL 6
-을/를 무릅쓰고
N을/를 무릅쓰고 means you knowingly face a danger, hardship or opposition and still deliberately go ahead with an action.
격식 표현Formal & written phrasesHan: 노력 is not a hardship you endure, and failing an exam is not a deliberate action, so only the neutral 'despite' (에도 불구하고) fits.
Examples
그는 부모님의 반대를 무릅쓰고 그녀와 결혼했다.He married her in defiance of his parents' opposition.
소방관은 위험을 무릅쓰고 불길 속으로 뛰어들어 아이를 구했다.The firefighter braved the danger, rushed into the flames and saved the child.
기자들은 추위를 무릅쓰고 새벽부터 현장에서 기다렸다.Braving the cold, the reporters waited at the scene from dawn.
부끄러움을 무릅쓰고 선생님께 다시 한 번 설명해 달라고 부탁드렸다.Overcoming my embarrassment, I asked the teacher to explain it once more.
Don’t mix up
-을/를 무릅쓰고vsN에도 불구하고 / -(으)ㅁ에도 불구하고불구하고 is a neutral 'despite' that also allows unintended results; 무릅쓰고 needs a hardship that someone deliberately endures: 비가 왔음에도 불구하고 경기가 진행되었다 vs 위험을 무릅쓰고 사람을 구했다.
-을/를 무릅쓰고vsN에 아랑곳하지 않고아랑곳하지 않고 means not caring about or ignoring something, while 무릅쓰고 means being fully aware of the hardship and bearing it: 남의 시선에 아랑곳하지 않고 춤을 췄다.
-을/를 무릅쓰고vsN을/를 감수하고감수하고 is about accepting a loss or disadvantage as the price, while 무릅쓰고 is about pushing through danger or opposition: 손해를 감수하고 가격을 내렸다.
How to build it
N+을/를 무릅쓰고
위험 → 위험을 무릅쓰고, 반대 → 반대를 무릅쓰고
- The noun is usually something unpleasant you have to endure: 위험, 반대, 비난, 추위, 부끄러움, 죽음. Neutral or positive nouns (노력, 행운) sound wrong.
- The second clause must be a deliberate action by the person who endures the hardship; it does not fit unintended results like failing, getting hurt or being late.
- It attaches directly to a noun, not to a clause; with a verb or adjective use -는데도 or -(으)ㅁ에도 불구하고 instead.
- It sounds formal and is most common in writing, news and speeches; in casual talk Koreans often just say -는데도.
Classic mistake
Wrong: 많은 노력을 무릅쓰고 시험에 떨어졌다.
Right: 많은 노력에도 불구하고 시험에 떨어졌다.
노력 is not a hardship you endure, and failing an exam is not a deliberate action, so only the neutral 'despite' (에도 불구하고) fits.
Practise -을/를 무릅쓰고 on real TOPIK questions
Hannim plans each day up to your exam date: questions on this pattern, reviews, full mock papers and graded writing. 7 days free, no card.
Start 7-day free trialMore level 6 grammar
All TOPIK grammar- -에 있어서Marks the area or aspect in which a statement holds true, like 'when it comes to N / in N / for N'; it is used mainly in formal writing and speeches.
- -에 힘입어Names a supporting force, such as encouragement or a favorable trend, that helped bring about a good result: 'buoyed by / thanks to N'.
- -을/를 막론하고N을/를 막론하고 means that something holds true no matter which case of N you take, so no exception is made.
- -을/를 불문하고N을/를 불문하고 means "no matter what N is": the statement applies equally to every kind or degree of N, and it is used mainly in formal or written Korean.
- -건대-건대 attaches to verbs like 'see', 'hear', 'think' or 'wish' and introduces the speaker's own viewpoint before a statement: 'as I see it…', 'as I hear…'.
- -(으)매-(으)매 is a bookish, literary way to say 'because' or 'as', linking a cause to its natural result in formal writing.
- -(으)나 -(으)나Two paired or opposite verbs/adjectives, each with -(으)나, mean 'whichever of these is the case, the following stays the same', which often amounts to 'regardless' or 'all the time'.
- -(으)락 -(으)락Joins two opposite actions or states to show that they keep switching back and forth.
- -(으)랴 -(으)랴Lists two (or more) tasks a person is juggling at the same time to stress that they are extremely busy or worn out.