-든지 is a connective ending that expresses "whether... or," "whichever," or "any option is fine." It's more emphatic than -거나, often implying that the speaker doesn't mind which alternative is chosen.
Structure
Verb/Adjective stem + -든지
Breakdown:
- -든지: Attached directly to verb or adjective stems
- Emphatic tone: Stronger than -거나
- Indifference: Often implies "I don't care which"
Literal meaning: "Whether... or" / "Whichever" / "Whatever"
Basic Usage Rules
With Action Verbs
Any action is acceptable:
- 먹든지 마시든지 (whether you eat or drink)
- 가든지 오든지 (whether you go or come)
- 읽든지 쓰든지 (whether you read or write)
- 자든지 쉬든지 (whether you sleep or rest)
- 하든지 말든지 (whether you do it or not)
With Descriptive Verbs (Adjectives)
Any state is acceptable:
- 좋든지 나쁘든지 (whether good or bad)
- 크든지 작든지 (whether big or small)
- 비싸든지 싸든지 (whether expensive or cheap)
- 덥든지 춥든지 (whether hot or cold)
With Nouns: -(이)든지
After nouns, use -(이)든지:
- 커피든지 차든지 (whether coffee or tea)
- 영화든지 드라마든지 (whether movie or drama)
- 월요일이든지 화요일이든지 (whether Monday or Tuesday)
- 사과든지 바나나든지 (whether apple or banana)
Rule: -이든지 after consonants, -든지 after vowels
Core Meaning: Emphatic Choice
Expressing Indifference
"I don't care which one":
- 뭐든지 좋아요 (Anything is fine)
- 언제든지 괜찮아요 (Anytime is okay)
- 어디든지 갈 수 있어요 (I can go anywhere)
- 누구든지 올 수 있어요 (Anyone can come)
Tone: More emphatic than -거나 or -(이)나
Permission and Allowance
Giving free choice:
- 하고 싶은 거 하든지 (Do whatever you want to do)
- 먹고 싶은 거 먹든지 (Eat whatever you want to eat)
- 가고 싶은 데 가든지 (Go wherever you want to go)
Common Usage Patterns
Question Words + -든지
"Any/whatever" constructions:
- 뭐든지 (anything / whatever)
- 누구든지 (anyone / whoever)
- 언제든지 (anytime / whenever)
- 어디든지 (anywhere / wherever)
- 어떻게든지 (however / any way)
- 얼마든지 (any amount / however much)
Examples:
- 뭐든지 물어보세요 (Ask anything)
- 누구든지 참여할 수 있어요 (Anyone can participate)
- 언제든지 연락하세요 (Contact me anytime)
- 어디든지 같이 갈게요 (I'll go anywhere with you)
-든지 -든지 (Whether A or B)
Presenting two clear alternatives:
- 먹든지 마시든지 하세요 (Either eat or drink)
- 가든지 오든지 하세요 (Either go or come)
- 공부하든지 쉬든지 하세요 (Either study or rest)
- 사든지 말든지 하세요 (Either buy it or don't)
Pattern: Action1-든지 Action2-든지 (하다)
Nuance: "Make a choice, I don't care which"
-든지 말든지 (Whether... or not)
Ultimate indifference:
- 하든지 말든지 (whether you do it or not)
- 가든지 말든지 (whether you go or not)
- 믿든지 말든지 (whether you believe it or not)
- 좋든지 말든지 (whether you like it or not)
Strong tone: "I really don't care"
Examples:
- 하든지 말든지 네 마음대로 해 (Whether you do it or not, do as you please)
- 믿든지 말든지 사실이에요 (Whether you believe it or not, it's true)
- 가든지 말든지 상관없어요 (Whether you go or not, I don't care)
Politeness Levels
Works in All Contexts
Formal:
- 뭐든지 질문하십시오 (Please ask anything)
- 언제든지 방문하셔도 됩니다 (You may visit anytime)
Polite:
- 뭐든지 물어보세요 (Please ask anything)
- 언제든지 연락해요 (Contact me anytime)
Casual:
- 뭐든지 말해 (Tell me anything)
- 언제든지 와 (Come anytime)
Conditional Contexts
With -(으)면 (If)
Regardless of which option:
- 비가 오든지 눈이 오든지 갈 거예요 (Whether it rains or snows, I'll go)
- 좋든지 나쁘든지 받아들일 거예요 (Whether good or bad, I'll accept it)
Offering Flexible Options
Giving permission:
- 뭐든지 하고 싶은 거 하세요 (Do whatever you want)
- 언제든지 오고 싶을 때 오세요 (Come whenever you want)
- 어디든지 가고 싶은 데 가세요 (Go wherever you want)
-든지 vs Similar Patterns
-든지 vs -거나
-거나: Neutral alternatives
- 먹거나 마시다 (eat or drink - neutral)
- Tone: Simple choice
-든지: Emphatic, indifferent
- 먹든지 마시든지 (whether you eat or drink)
- Tone: "I don't care which"
-든지 vs -(이)나
-(이)나: Casual noun choice
- 커피나 차 (coffee or tea - casual)
-든지: Emphatic noun choice
- 커피든지 차든지 (whether coffee or tea - more emphatic)
-든지 vs 아무 + Noun + -(이)나
Both express "any":
- 아무거나 (anything)
- 뭐든지 (anything/whatever)
-든지: Slightly more emphatic
Special Patterns
어떻게든지 (Somehow/By any means)
Finding any way:
- 어떻게든지 할 거예요 (I'll do it somehow)
- 어떻게든지 해결할게요 (I'll solve it by any means)
- 어떻게든지 갈게요 (I'll go somehow)
얼마든지 (Any amount/As much as)
No limit:
- 얼마든지 드세요 (Eat as much as you want)
- 얼마든지 가져가세요 (Take as much as you want)
- 얼마든지 기다릴게요 (I'll wait as long as needed)
Tense Usage
Present Tense Focus
Most common:
- 뭐든지 먹어요 (I eat anything)
- 언제든지 와요 (Come anytime)
Past Tense
Describing past choices:
- 뭐든지 했어요 (I did anything)
- 어디든지 갔어요 (I went anywhere)
Future Tense
Future flexibility:
- 뭐든지 할 거예요 (I'll do anything)
- 언제든지 올 거예요 (I'll come anytime)
Negative Forms
With Negation
Usually appears with 말든지:
- 하든지 말든지 (whether you do it or not)
- 가든지 말든지 (whether you go or not)
Can use with 안/못:
- 안 가든지 늦게 가든지 (whether you don't go or go late)
Question Forms
Rhetorical Questions
Emphasizing any option:
- 뭐든지 괜찮아요? (Is anything okay?)
- 언제든지 좋아요? (Is anytime good?)
Offering Choices
Giving complete freedom:
- 뭐 먹을래요? 뭐든지 괜찮아요 (What do you want to eat? Anything is fine)
- 언제 만날까요? 언제든지 좋아요 (When shall we meet? Anytime is good)
Common Expressions
Daily Phrases
Everyday usage:
- 뭐든지 좋아요 (Anything is fine)
- 언제든지 연락하세요 (Contact me anytime)
- 누구든지 환영해요 (Anyone is welcome)
- 어디든지 괜찮아요 (Anywhere is okay)
- 얼마든지 드세요 (Eat as much as you want)
Making Decisions
Leaving choice to others:
- 네가 하고 싶은 대로 하든지 (Do whatever you want to do)
- 네가 먹고 싶은 거 먹든지 (Eat whatever you want to eat)
- 네가 결정하든지 (Whatever you decide)
Perspective and Usage
When to Use -든지
Use when:
- Expressing strong indifference to choices
- Giving complete freedom to choose
- Emphasizing "any" or "whatever"
- Showing you don't mind the outcome
Tone considerations:
- More emphatic than -거나
- Can sound indifferent or dismissive
- Often generous (giving freedom)
- Sometimes impatient in -든지 말든지
Summary Table
| Pattern | Form | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Question + -든지 | 뭐든지 | Anything/Whatever | 뭐든지 좋아요 |
| 언제든지 | Anytime/Whenever | 언제든지 와요 | |
| 누구든지 | Anyone/Whoever | 누구든지 올 수 있어요 | |
| A-든지 B-든지 | -든지 -든지 | Whether A or B | 먹든지 마시든지 |
| -든지 말든지 | -든지 말든지 | Whether or not | 하든지 말든지 |
| Noun + -든지 | (이)든지 | Whether (noun) | 커피든지 차든지 |
Key Takeaways
- ✅ Emphatic choice: Stronger than -거나
- ✅ Indifference: Often means "I don't care which"
- ✅ "Any" meaning: With question words (뭐든지, 언제든지)
- ✅ Freedom: Gives complete choice to listener
- ✅ Flexible: Works with verbs, adjectives, and nouns
- ✅ Common patterns: -든지 -든지, -든지 말든지
-든지 is essential for expressing emphatic choices and giving others complete freedom to decide, making it a powerful pattern for showing flexibility and indifference in Korean.