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Korean 「-(으)ㄹ 리가 없다」 is often translated as “there’s no way…,” “it can’t be…,” or “it’s impossible that….” When this expression is used, there is usually already some basis for the judgment. That basis may be a known fact, past experience, or information that does not line up with what is being claimed, leading the speaker to conclude that something is unlikely to be true.

The expression 「그럴 리가 없어」, which is frequently heard in Korean dramas, is a very typical example. When you suddenly hear something that completely contradicts what you previously believed, you can respond directly with 「그럴 리가 없어」. In English, it is close to “That can’t be true,” “There’s no way,” or “That’s impossible.”

Both 「-(으)ㄹ 리가 없다」 and 「-(으)ㄹ 수 없다」 can sometimes be translated as “can’t” or “impossible,” but they focus on different things in actual usage. 「-(으)ㄹ 리가 없다」 involves the speaker’s own basis for judgment, while 「-(으)ㄹ 수 없다」 often appears when someone lacks the ability to do something, circumstances do not allow it, or something is objectively impossible. Once you understand this distinction, it becomes easier to distinguish their usage by looking at conjugation, past-tense forms, and actual conversations using 「그럴 리가 없다」.

Why shouldn’t you memorize Korean 「-(으)ㄹ 리가 없다」 simply as “impossible”?

Korean 「-(으)ㄹ 리가 없다」 can first be understood as meaning “there is no reason for that to be the case” or “there is no such possibility.” In other words, the sentence denies that there is any reason or possibility for something to be true. 「리」 is a dependent noun meaning “reason” or “logic,” so 「할 리가 없다」 means something like “there is no reason that someone would do that” or “there is no way they would do that.” When something cannot be done because of ability or circumstances, Korean uses 「-(으)ㄹ 수 없다」 instead. This is also one of the most common distinctions learners encounter when asking how to say “impossible” in Korean.

For example, 「민수가 약속을 잊을 리가 없어요」 is a judgment based on what the speaker knows about Minsu and means “There’s no way Minsu would forget the appointment.” The sentence is not about whether Minsu has the ability to forget. The judgment comes from information the speaker already has, so the level of certainty is usually stronger than a simple guess.

Conjugation rules for 「-(으)ㄹ 리가 없다」: when do you use 「-ㄹ」 and when do you use 「-을」?

When 「-(으)ㄹ 리가 없다」 follows a verb or adjective, you first choose 「-ㄹ／-을」 according to whether the stem has a 받침. If there is no 받침, or if the stem ends in 「ㄹ」, use the 「-ㄹ」 form. Other stems with a 받침 take 「-을」. If the preceding form already contains the past-tense marker 「-았/었-」, the result is 「-았/었을 리가 없다」.

Preceding form	Attachment pattern	Dictionary form	Complete form	English
No 받침	Stem＋ㄹ 리가 없다	가다	갈 리가 없다	There’s no way someone would go
ㄹ 받침	Keep the final ㄹ＋리가 없다	만들다	만들 리가 없다	There’s no way someone would make it
Other 받침	Stem＋을 리가 없다	먹다	먹을 리가 없다	There’s no way someone would eat it
Past tense	-았/었＋을 리가 없다	가다	갔을 리가 없다	There’s no way someone went／could have gone
ㅂ irregular	Apply the irregular conjugation, then add -ㄹ	춥다	추울 리가 없다	There’s no way it would be cold

The 「-(으)ㄹ」 portion changes in the same way as other Korean adnominal forms. If you are not yet comfortable distinguishing vowel-final stems, consonant-final stems, and stems ending in 「ㄹ」, comparing it with the conjugation rules for 「-(으)ㄹ 거예요」 can make the pattern easier to see.

Why must 「리」 be written separately?

In this construction, 「리」 is a dependent noun rather than an ending attached directly to the preceding verb, so there must be a space before it. The correct forms are 「그럴 리가 없다」, 「할 리가 없다」, and 「했을 리가 없다」, not 「그럴리가 없다」. If you think of 「리」 as meaning “that reason” or “that possibility,” it also becomes easier to remember where the space belongs.

Are both 「리가 없다」 and 「리 없다」 possible?

Both 「리가 없다」 and 「리 없다」 are grammatically possible. The difference is that the former retains the subject particle 「가」, while the latter omits it. When first learning the grammar, it is easier to memorize the full form 「리가 없다」 so that the structure remains clear. If you later encounter 「그럴 리 없다」 in actual reading, there is no need to treat it as a separate grammar pattern.

How is Korean 「-(으)ㄹ 리가 없다」 used? Three common situations

Usage ① of 「-(으)ㄹ 리가 없다」｜Concluding that something cannot be true based on known facts

This is the most typical use of 「-(으)ㄹ 리가 없다」. There is usually a fact the speaker already knows, and from that fact, the speaker concludes that something cannot be true or cannot happen. The sentence does not necessarily state every reason explicitly, but there is usually some basis behind the judgment.

• Example: 민수는 지금 해외에 있으니까 여기에 있을 리가 없어요.
  Romanization: min-su-neun ji-geum hae-oe-e i-sseu-ni-kka yeo-gi-e i-sseul ri-ga eop-seo-yo.
  Translation: Minsu is abroad right now, so there’s no way he could be here.
  The speaker already knows that Minsu is abroad, so the possibility that he is here is ruled out.
• Example: 지수는 매일 연습했으니까 이 동작을 모를 리가 없어요.
  Romanization: ji-su-neun mae-il yeon-seup-hae-sseu-ni-kka i dong-ja-geul mo-reul ri-ga eop-seo-yo.
  Translation: Jisu practiced every day, so there’s no way she doesn’t know this move.
  「모를 리가 없다」 literally denies the possibility of “not knowing,” so its practical meaning is closer to “she must know.”
• Example: 그 가게는 월요일마다 쉬니까 오늘 문을 열 리가 없어요.
  Romanization: geu ga-ge-neun wo-ryo-il-ma-da swi-ni-kka o-neul mu-neul yeol ri-ga eop-seo-yo.
  Translation: That store is closed every Monday, so there’s no way it’s open today.
  The regular closing day provides the basis for the judgment, making the statement more certain than 「아마 안 열 거예요」.

Usage ② of 「-(으)ㄹ 리가 없다」｜Directly rejecting something you hear: 「그럴 리가 없다」

「그럴 리가 없다」 can be understood directly as “That can’t be true” or “There’s no way that could happen.” It frequently appears as a standalone response in conversation, especially when reacting to information that conflicts with what the speaker already knows. Adding a reason afterward makes the response sound very natural.

• Example: 유진이가 회사를 그만뒀다고요? 그럴 리가 없어요. 어제도 새 프로젝트 이야기를 했어요.
  Romanization: yu-jin-i-ga hoe-sa-reul geu-man-dwot-da-go-yo? geu-reol ri-ga eop-seo-yo. eo-je-do sae peu-ro-jek-teu i-ya-gi-reul hae-sseo-yo.
  Translation: Yujin quit the company?
  That can’t be true. She was talking about the new project just yesterday.
  The fact that she was talking about a new project yesterday is the basis for rejecting the news.
• Example: 벌써 결과가 나왔다고요? 그럴 리가 없어요. 발표는 내일이에요.
  Romanization: beol-sseo gyeol-gwa-ga na-wat-da-go-yo? geu-reol ri-ga eop-seo-yo. bal-pyo-neun nae-i-ri-e-yo.
  Translation: The results are already out?
  That can’t be right. They’re being announced tomorrow.
  The speaker knows that the announcement is tomorrow, so the claim that the results are already out is directly rejected.
• Example: 지하철이 벌써 끊겼다고요? 그럴 리가 없어요. 아직 열 시예요.
  Romanization: ji-ha-cheo-ri beol-sseo kkeun-gyeot-da-go-yo? geu-reol ri-ga eop-seo-yo. a-jik yeol si-e-yo.
  Translation: The subway has already stopped running?
  That can’t be right. It’s only ten o’clock.
  This type of conversation shows a strong judgment based on the time, but it does not objectively guarantee that the subway is still running.

Usage ③ of 「-(으)ㄹ 리가 없다」｜Using 「-았/었을 리가 없다」 to reject a past possibility

When you want to deny that something already happened, you can put the preceding verb into the past tense and then attach 「-을 리가 없다」. In this case, 「-았/었을 리가 없다」 means “judging from the circumstances, there’s no way that happened,” and it is often used to reassess an event that has already taken place.

• Example: 그때 제주도에 있었으니 회의에 참석했을 리가 없어요.
  Romanization: geu-ttae je-ju-do-e i-sseo-sseu-ni hoe-ui-e cham-seok-hae-sseul ri-ga eop-seo-yo.
  Translation: They were in Jeju at the time, so there’s no way they attended the meeting.
  The location conflict rules out the possibility that the person attended the meeting.
• Example: 아직 문도 안 열었는데 벌써 안에 들어갔을 리가 없어요.
  Romanization: a-jik mun-do an yeo-reot-neun-de beol-sseo a-ne deu-reo-ga-sseul ri-ga eop-seo-yo.
  Translation: The door hasn’t even opened yet, so there’s no way they’re already inside.
  The speaker uses the currently known situation to reject the possibility that the earlier event has already happened.
• Example: 어제 밤새 일했는데 아침부터 운동했을 리가 없어요.
  Romanization: eo-je bam-sae il-haet-neun-de a-chim-bu-teo un-dong-hae-sseul ri-ga eop-seo-yo.
  Translation: They worked all night yesterday, so there’s no way they exercised first thing in the morning.
  The speaker is making an inference based on the previous night’s circumstances. It is still a judgment rather than something directly witnessed.

Difference between 「-(으)ㄹ 리가 없다」 and 「-(으)ㄹ 수 없다」: impossible vs unable to

Both 「-(으)ㄹ 리가 없다」 and 「-(으)ㄹ 수 없다」 can be translated as “can’t” or “impossible,” but they focus on different things. With 「-(으)ㄹ 리가 없다」, there is usually some prior information, and the speaker uses facts, experience, or knowledge of the situation to judge that something cannot be true. 「-(으)ㄹ 수 없다」, by contrast, is commonly used when ability, time, the environment, or other conditions make something impossible to do or impossible to happen. In addition, 「말도 안 되다」 often appears when someone hears a claim and immediately feels that it is absurd or does not make sense. 「-(으)ㄹ 리가 만무하다」 points in a similar direction to 「-(으)ㄹ 리가 없다」, but it expresses an even stronger conclusion and is more likely to appear in formal or written contexts.

Comparison	「-(으)ㄹ 리가 없다」	「-(으)ㄹ 수 없다」	「말도 안 되다」	「-(으)ㄹ 리가 만무하다」
Basic meaning	There’s no way…／It can’t be…	Cannot…／Be unable to…	That’s absurd／That makes no sense	There is absolutely no possibility…
What the sentence is about	Judging whether something can be true	Whether something can be done or happen	Rejecting a claim or situation as unreasonable	Strongly concluding that something cannot be true
Common basis for the judgment	Known facts, experience, surrounding information	Ability, time, environment, real-world conditions	A large gap between the claim and common sense, facts, or prior knowledge	Known information strong enough to support a very firm denial
Degree of speaker judgment	Clear	Not necessarily strong; often describes an objective limitation	Very clear and strongly reactive	Very clear, with a high degree of certainty
Common situations	Inference, rejecting information, ruling out possibilities	Lack of ability, insufficient time, circumstances preventing something	Responding directly to implausible information in conversation	Formal explanation, written prose, strong denial
Common English translations	There’s no way…／It can’t be…	Can’t…／Be unable to…	No way／That’s ridiculous／That makes no sense	There’s absolutely no way…／It is utterly impossible…
Example	민수가 약속을 잊을 리가 없어요.	오늘은 회의에 참석할 수 없어요.	벌써 결과가 나왔다고요? 말도 안 돼요.	담당자가 그 사실을 몰랐을 리가 만무합니다.
Nuance of the example	Based on what the speaker knows about Minsu, they judge that he could not have forgotten the appointment	Certain circumstances make it impossible to attend the meeting today	The speaker hears that the results are already out and immediately rejects the claim as unreasonable	The speaker is extremely certain that the person in charge could not have been unaware of the fact

▌Difference between 「-(으)ㄹ 리가 없다」 and 「-(으)ㄹ 수 없다」｜Judging something impossible from information vs being unable to do it because of circumstances

「-(으)ㄹ 리가 없다」 usually requires some reason that allows the speaker to make the judgment. Someone is abroad, so they cannot possibly be here; someone is normally extremely punctual, so they are unlikely to be late for no reason. These are typical examples. 「-(으)ㄹ 수 없다」 is more often used to describe whether an action can actually be carried out, such as being unable to attend because of illness, being unable to finish because there is not enough time, or being unable to do something because the circumstances simply do not allow it. Here, 「수 없다」 is not limited to physical ability. It can be used whenever objective circumstances make something impossible to do or impossible to happen.

• Example: 민수는 지금 해외에 있으니까 여기에 있을 리가 없어요.
  Romanization: min-su-neun ji-geum hae-oe-e i-sseu-ni-kka yeo-gi-e i-sseul ri-ga eop-seo-yo.
  Translation: Minsu is abroad right now, so there’s no way he could be here.
  The known information is that “Minsu is currently abroad,” so the speaker concludes that “he is here” cannot be true. 「-(으)ㄹ 리가 없다」 denies the likelihood that something is true.
• Example: 오늘은 몸이 너무 아파서 회의에 참석할 수 없어요.
  Romanization: o-neu-reun mo-mi neo-mu a-pa-seo hoe-ui-e cham-seok-hal su eop-seo-yo.
  Translation: I’m feeling too sick today, so I can’t attend the meeting.
  This sentence is not guessing whether someone attended the meeting. It says that the person’s physical condition prevents them from attending, so 「-(으)ㄹ 수 없다」 is used.

▌Difference between 「-(으)ㄹ 리가 없다」 and 「말도 안 되다」｜Having a reason to judge something impossible vs immediately feeling that a claim makes no sense

There is usually some basis behind the speaker’s judgment when using 「-(으)ㄹ 리가 없다」, so even when the tone is very certain, the sentence still contains an element of inference. 「말도 안 되다」 is closer to an immediate reaction after hearing something and means “That makes no sense” or “That’s ridiculous.” The two expressions can sometimes appear in similar situations, but 「말도 안 돼요」 generally has a more direct emotional and rebuttal-like quality.

• Example: 발표는 내일이니까 오늘 결과가 나왔을 리가 없어요.
  Romanization: bal-pyo-neun nae-i-ri-ni-kka o-neul gyeol-gwa-ga na-wa-sseul ri-ga eop-seo-yo.
  Translation: The announcement is tomorrow, so there’s no way the results came out today.
  “The announcement is tomorrow” provides the basis for the judgment, so 「나왔을 리가 없어요」 is used to deny the possibility that the results are already out.
• Example: 벌써 결과가 나왔다고요? 말도 안 돼요. 발표는 내일이에요.
  Romanization: beol-sseo gyeol-gwa-ga na-wat-da-go-yo? mal-do an dwae-yo. bal-pyo-neun nae-i-ri-e-yo.
  Translation: The results are already out?
  No way. They’re being announced tomorrow.
  Here, the speaker first reacts directly to the news with 「말도 안 돼요」 and then adds the reason that the announcement is not until tomorrow. It sounds more conversational and reactive than 「리가 없다」.

▌Difference between 「-(으)ㄹ 리가 없다」 and 「-(으)ㄹ 리가 만무하다」｜A strong judgment vs an even stronger assertion

「-(으)ㄹ 리가 없다」 already expresses a fairly clear negative judgment and is very common in everyday conversation. 「-(으)ㄹ 리가 만무하다」 strengthens that denial even further. Because 「만무하다」 means that something is completely or absolutely nonexistent, the full expression is close to “there is absolutely no way….” In actual usage, 「리가 만무하다」 sounds more written and formal than 「리가 없다」 and is more likely to appear in formal explanations, commentary, or contexts where the speaker wants to emphasize the strength of the judgment. In ordinary conversation, 「리가 없다」 is usually perfectly natural.

• Example: 그 사람이 이 사실을 몰랐을 리가 없어요.
  Romanization: geu sa-ra-mi i sa-si-reul mol-la-sseul ri-ga eop-seo-yo.
  Translation: There’s no way that person didn’t know about this.
  Based on the information currently available, the speaker believes there is very little possibility that the person was unaware of the fact. The tone is already quite certain, but the expression remains natural in everyday conversation.
• Example: 담당자가 이 사실을 몰랐을 리가 만무합니다.
  Romanization: dam-dang-ja-ga i sa-si-reul mol-la-sseul ri-ga man-mu-ham-ni-da.
  Translation: There is absolutely no possibility that the person in charge was unaware of this.
  「만무합니다」 raises the level of certainty even further, so an English rendering such as “there is absolutely no possibility” better reflects its force than simply “there’s no way.”

▌Difference between 「-(으)ㄹ 수 없다」 and 「말도 안 되다」｜Being unable to do something in reality vs directly judging a claim unreasonable

「-(으)ㄹ 수 없다」 can calmly explain why something cannot be done and does not necessarily carry surprise or a sense of rebuttal. 「말도 안 되다」, by contrast, is often closely tied to the speaker’s reaction. For example, if the last train has already departed and it is therefore no longer possible to get home by subway, 「수 없다」 can be used. If someone says that all subway service has already ended at 10 p.m. and the speaker knows this claim is wrong, they might respond with 「말도 안 돼요」.

• Example: 지하철 운행이 끝나서 이제 지하철로 갈 수 없어요.
  Romanization: ji-ha-cheol un-haeng-i kkeut-na-seo i-je ji-ha-cheol-lo gal su eop-seo-yo.
  Translation: Subway service has ended, so I can’t go there by subway anymore.
  This sentence simply explains that the transportation situation no longer allows it. It is not rejecting anyone’s statement.
• Example: 지하철이 벌써 끊겼다고요? 말도 안 돼요. 아직 열 시예요.
  Romanization: ji-ha-cheo-ri beol-sseo kkeun-gyeot-da-go-yo? mal-do an dwae-yo. a-jik yeol si-e-yo.
  Translation: The subway has already stopped running?
  No way. It’s only ten o’clock.
  「말도 안 돼요」 responds directly to the information just heard and conveys the reaction that “this claim does not make sense.”

▌Difference between 「-(으)ㄹ 수 없다」 and 「-(으)ㄹ 리가 만무하다」｜Being unable to do something vs asserting that something is absolutely impossible

「-(으)ㄹ 수 없다」 can simply state that something is prevented by certain circumstances, without requiring particularly strong language. 「-(으)ㄹ 리가 만무하다」 judges that something cannot possibly be true and is even more emphatic than 「리가 없다」. Therefore, if someone is hospitalized and their condition prevents them from going to work, you can say 「출근할 수 없다」. If clear records show that the person absolutely could not have appeared at work that day, 「출근했을 리가 만무하다」 is closer to the intended meaning.

• Example: 아직 입원 중이라서 내일 출근할 수 없어요.
  Romanization: a-jik i-bwon jung-i-ra-seo nae-il chul-geun-hal su eop-seo-yo.
  Translation: I’m still in the hospital, so I can’t go to work tomorrow.
  Being hospitalized is the condition that prevents “going to work,” so 「-(으)ㄹ 수 없다」 is used.
• Example: 당시 병원에 입원해 있었으니 회사에 출근했을 리가 만무합니다.
  Romanization: dang-si byeong-wo-ne i-bwon-hae i-sseo-sseu-ni hoe-sa-e chul-geun-hae-sseul ri-ga man-mu-ham-ni-da.
  Translation: They were hospitalized at the time, so there is absolutely no possibility that they went to work.
  This is no longer about whether the person was capable of going to work. Based on the fact that they were hospitalized at the time, the sentence strongly denies that they actually went to the office.

▌How the four expressions differ when hearing the same claim: “She is at the meeting venue in Seoul”

Suppose someone tells you, “Yujin is at the meeting venue in Seoul right now.” 「-(으)ㄹ 리가 없다」 uses known information to judge that the report cannot be true. To use 「-(으)ㄹ 수 없다」, the sentence needs to describe some condition that prevents Yujin from being able to attend. 「말도 안 되다」 works well as a direct reaction to the news itself, while 「-(으)ㄹ 리가 만무하다」 asserts even more strongly that the situation is absolutely impossible. All four expressions may ultimately be translated with words such as “impossible” or “no way,” but they deal with different issues in the actual sentence.

• Example: 유진 씨는 지금 일본에 있으니까 서울 회의장에 있을 리가 없어요.
  Romanization: yu-jin ssi-neun ji-geum il-bo-ne i-sseu-ni-kka seo-ul hoe-ui-jang-e i-sseul ri-ga eop-seo-yo.
  Translation: Yujin is in Japan right now, so there’s no way she could be at the meeting venue in Seoul.
  The known location conflicts with the claim that she is in Seoul, so 「-(으)ㄹ 리가 없다」 is used to judge that the claim cannot be true.
• Example: 유진 씨는 지금 입원 중이라서 오늘 회의장에 올 수 없어요.
  Romanization: yu-jin ssi-neun ji-geum i-bwon jung-i-ra-seo o-neul hoe-ui-jang-e ol su eop-seo-yo.
  Translation: Yujin is in the hospital right now, so she can’t come to the meeting venue today.
  Being hospitalized restricts her ability to “come to the meeting venue,” so 「-(으)ㄹ 수 없다」 is used.
• Example: 유진 씨가 지금 서울 회의장에 있다고요? 말도 안 돼요. 아까 도쿄에서 영상 통화했어요.
  Romanization: yu-jin ssi-ga ji-geum seo-ul hoe-ui-jang-e it-da-go-yo? mal-do an dwae-yo. a-kka do-kyo-e-seo yeong-sang tong-hwa-hae-sseo-yo.
  Translation: Yujin is at the meeting venue in Seoul right now?
  No way. I just had a video call with her in Tokyo.
  The speaker first reacts to the report itself by saying that it makes no sense, then adds the information that they had a video call with Yujin in Tokyo a short while ago.
• Example: 유진 씨가 지금 서울 회의장에 있을 리가 만무합니다. 현재 일본 출장 중입니다.
  Romanization: yu-jin ssi-ga ji-geum seo-ul hoe-ui-jang-e i-sseul ri-ga man-mu-ham-ni-da. hyeon-jae il-bon chul-jang jung-im-ni-da.
  Translation: There is absolutely no possibility that Yujin is at the meeting venue in Seoul right now.
  She is currently on a business trip in Japan.
  This judgment is also based on her known location, but 「리가 만무합니다」 is more emphatic than 「리가 없어요」 and sounds distinctly more formal.

What does 「그럴 리가 없어요」 mean, and how is it used in Korean conversation?

「그럴 리가 없어요」 is a very common conversational form of 「-(으)ㄹ 리가 없다」. Depending on context, it can be translated as “That can’t be true,” “There’s no way,” or “That can’t happen.” The expression normally does not indicate surprise alone. Rather, the speaker already has some information and therefore feels that the new information has no reasonable basis for being true. The Basic Korean Dictionary also explains 「-ㄹ 리가 없다」 as expressing the speaker’s certainty that there is no reason or possibility for the preceding content to be true, and it includes 「그럴 리가 없어」 directly as a conversational example. In everyday conversation, 「그럴 리가 없어요」 is often followed by a reason such as “We were talking about the new project just yesterday” or “I was still holding it when we left.” This makes it clear why the speaker believes the preceding information cannot be true.

▌Situation ①｜Hearing that a coworker suddenly quit

A：유진 씨가 회사를 그만뒀대요.
　　yu-jin ssi-ga hoe-sa-reul geu-man-dwot-dae-yo.
　　I heard Yujin quit the company.

B：그럴 리가 없어요. 어제도 새 프로젝트 이야기했어요.
　　geu-reol ri-ga eop-seo-yo. eo-je-do sae peu-ro-jek-teu i-ya-gi-hae-sseo-yo.
　　That can’t be true. She was talking about the new project just yesterday.

📌 Grammar Point: 「그럴 리가 없어요」 is not used simply because the news that someone quit is surprising. The following statement, “She was talking about the new project just yesterday,” provides supporting information. Based on what the speaker previously knew, suddenly quitting does not line up with what Yujin was doing yesterday, so the speaker does not immediately believe the news. 「리가 없다」 contains a clear element of judgment here, so English expressions such as “That can’t be true” or “There’s no way” are more natural than simply “can’t.”

▌Situation ②｜Unable to find a phone and wondering whether it was left at the café

A：휴대폰을 카페에 두고 온 것 같아요.
　　hyu-dae-po-neul ka-pe-e du-go on geot ga-ta-yo.
　　I think I left my phone at the café.

B：그럴 리가 없어요. 나올 때 손에 들고 있었어요.
　　geu-reol ri-ga eop-seo-yo. na-ol ttae so-ne deul-go i-sseo-sseo-yo.
　　That can’t be right. You were holding it when we left.

📌 Grammar Point: This conversation already contains a very clear clue: the phone was still in hand when leaving the café. Therefore, the idea that “the phone was left at the café” conflicts with known information, making 「그럴 리가 없어요」 very natural here. This grammar pattern commonly appears when searching for something, checking plans, or thinking back over something that just happened. Whenever some piece of information gives the speaker enough reason to rule out the current hypothesis, 「그럴 리가 없다」 may be used.

▌Situation ③｜Hearing that the results were announced early

A：벌써 결과가 나왔대요.
　　beol-sseo gyeol-gwa-ga na-wat-dae-yo.
　　I heard the results are already out.

B：그럴 리가 없어요. 발표는 내일이에요.
　　geu-reol ri-ga eop-seo-yo. bal-pyo-neun nae-i-ri-e-yo.
　　That can’t be right. They’re being announced tomorrow.

📌 Grammar Point: 「발표는 내일이에요」 provides the basis for the speaker’s judgment that “the results cannot already be out.” This is another typical use of 「그럴 리가 없어요」: the speaker hears something inconsistent with the information they already have, expresses disbelief with this phrase, and then gives the reason. If the context is already clear, 「그럴 리가 없어요」 can also stand on its own. Stating the reason as well makes it easier to understand how the speaker arrived at the conclusion that something is “impossible.”

Usage notes:

1. 「그럴 리가 없어요」 cannot automatically be used whenever you hear something unexpected. It carries the meaning “Given what I currently know, this cannot be true,” so there generally needs to be some basis for the judgment. For example, if a friend suddenly changes their hair color, simply finding it surprising does not necessarily make 「그럴 리가 없어요」 appropriate. If that friend clearly said yesterday that they would absolutely never dye their hair, and today someone tells you they already did, there is enough contextual information to support the expression.
2. The 「리」 in 「그럴 리가 없어요」 is a dependent noun meaning “reason” or “logic,” so 「그럴 리가」 must be written with a space and cannot be written as 「그럴리가」. The National Institute of Korean Language also clearly explains that 「리」 in 「-을 리(가) 없다」 is a dependent noun and that the correct form is 「그럴 리가 없다」. In spoken Korean, the particle 「가」 is also often omitted, producing forms such as 「그럴 리 없어요」 or 「그럴 리 없어」, which still mean “There’s no way that could be true.”
3. Both 「그럴 리가 없어요」 and 「말도 안 돼요」 can be translated as “No way,” but their nuances are not exactly the same. 「그럴 리가 없어요」 is closer to judging that something cannot be true based on information the speaker already has. 「말도 안 돼요」 is more like reacting directly to a claim with “That makes no sense” or “That’s ridiculous,” and generally feels more emotional and reactive. A situation such as “The announcement is tomorrow, so there’s no way the results are already out today” fits 「그럴 리가 없어요」 well. If someone hears an obviously absurd claim and rejects it immediately, 「말도 안 돼요」 is often closer to a natural conversational reaction.
4. The ending of 「그럴 리가 없어요」 can also change depending on the speaking situation. Among friends, 「그럴 리가 없어」 is common; in polite everyday conversation, 「그럴 리가 없어요」 works well; and in formal settings, 「그럴 리가 없습니다」 can be used. The Basic Korean Dictionary also uses 「그럴 리가 없어」 in an actual dialogue example to reject newly heard information, showing that this form itself is a very natural conversational expression.

How does Korean 「-(으)ㄹ 리가 없다」 compare with Japanese 「〜はずがない」?

Both Korean 「-(으)ㄹ 리가 없다」 and Japanese 「〜はずがない」 can express the speaker’s judgment that something cannot be true based on currently known information. Therefore, in sentences such as “He’s abroad, so he can’t possibly be here” or “The announcement is tomorrow, so the results can’t already be out today,” the two expressions have very similar nuances. However, Korean 「-(으)ㄹ 리가 없다」 has a somewhat broader range of use. In addition to judgments based on objective information, it frequently appears in situations involving personal conviction based on what the speaker knows about someone, such as “Knowing that person, there’s no way they would do something like that.” When translating into Japanese, some sentences fit 「〜はずがない」, while others are closer to 「〜わけがない」. The three patterns should not be treated as perfectly interchangeable in every situation.

◆ Similar grammar: 「〜はずがない」

Japanese 「〜はずがない」 indicates that the speaker already has some basis for judgment and, after reasoning from that information, concludes that something cannot be true. In this respect, it is very similar to Korean 「-(으)ㄹ 리가 없다」. For example, if you know that someone is currently abroad and therefore conclude that they cannot be at the office, or if you know that a store is always closed on Mondays and conclude that it cannot be open today, comparable expressions can be used in both languages. The Japanese word 「はず」 itself is associated with expectations based on information, and 「〜はずがない」 turns that expectation in a negative direction.

• Example: 그 사람이 약속을 잊을 리가 없어요.
  Romanization: geu sa-ra-mi yak-so-geul i-jeul ri-ga eop-seo-yo.
  Translation: There’s no way that person would forget the appointment.
  This pair of expressions can be used in a context where the speaker knows that the person takes appointments seriously and normally does not forget things. Both Korean and Japanese use prior knowledge to judge that “forgetting the appointment” is unlikely to be true.
• Example: 민수는 지금 일본에 있으니까 여기에 있을 리가 없어요.
  Romanization: min-su-neun ji-geum il-bo-ne i-sseu-ni-kka yeo-gi-e i-sseul ri-ga eop-seo-yo.
  Translation: Minsu is in Japan right now, so there’s no way he could be here.
  “Being in Japan” conflicts with “being here at the same time,” so both patterns can use location information to rule out the latter possibility.
• Example: 발표는 내일이니까 오늘 결과가 나왔을 리가 없어요.
  Romanization: bal-pyo-neun nae-i-ri-ni-kka o-neul gyeol-gwa-ga na-wa-sseul ri-ga eop-seo-yo.
  Translation: The announcement is tomorrow, so there’s no way the results already came out today.
  Because the known announcement date is tomorrow, the speaker judges that “the results are already out today” does not fit the available information. In this kind of inference based on a clear time-related fact, the overlap between Korean 「-(으)ㄹ 리가 없다」 and Japanese 「〜はずがない」 is especially strong.

◆ Similar grammar: 「〜わけがない」

Korean 「-(으)ㄹ 리가 없다」 also frequently corresponds to Japanese 「〜わけがない」. Both expressions can carry the sense that “there is no reason for that to be true” or “there is simply no way that could happen.” In particular, when the speaker has strong conviction about something or is directly rejecting newly heard information, 「〜わけがない」 may match the immediate tone better than 「〜はずがない」. Japanese 「〜はずがない」 tends to make the existence of some basis for inference more noticeable, while 「〜わけがない」 more readily puts the speaker’s own judgment—“that is simply impossible”—at the forefront.

• Example: 유진이가 그런 말을 했을 리가 없어요.
  Romanization: yu-jin-i-ga geu-reon ma-reul hae-sseul ri-ga eop-seo-yo.
  Translation: There’s no way Yujin said something like that.
  If the speaker knows Yujin well and hears someone say that “Yujin said something like that,” both expressions can convey the strong judgment that “based on what I know about this person, that simply cannot be true.”
• Example: 지수가 거짓말을 할 리가 없어요.
  Romanization: ji-su-ga geo-jin-ma-reul hal ri-ga eop-seo-yo.
  Translation: There’s no way Jisu would lie.
  The judgment here may come from the speaker’s knowledge of Jisu’s personality rather than from an objectively provable fact. For that reason, the Japanese 「〜わけがない」, with its stronger subjective denial, can sound very natural.
• Example: 그럴 리가 없어요. 어제도 직접 만났어요.
  Romanization: geu-reol ri-ga eop-seo-yo. eo-je-do jik-jeop man-na-sseo-yo.
  Translation: That can’t be true.
  I saw them in person just yesterday.
  In everyday Korean conversation, 「그럴 리가 없어요」 is often used directly to reject a piece of information. In Japanese, when reacting with a similar sense of “there’s no way that could be true,” 「そんなわけがない／ありません」 is also very common.

◆ Difference from Japanese 「〜はずがない」:

The closest point between Korean 「-(으)ㄹ 리가 없다」 and Japanese 「〜はずがない」 is that both can start from known information and conclude that something cannot be true. Sentences such as “They are in Japan, so they can’t be in Seoul” or “The announcement is tomorrow, so the results can’t already be out today” can be understood using almost the same logic in both languages.

However, Korean 「-(으)ㄹ 리가 없다」 is not limited to inferences based on such clearly identifiable facts. It is also frequently used to express knowledge of a person, experience, or personal conviction, as in “That person would never say something like that” or “There’s no way Jisu would lie.” In Japanese, 「〜はずがない」 may still work in these sentences, but depending on the context, 「〜わけがない」 may sound more natural because it conveys a stronger subjective denial.

Therefore, when you encounter Korean 「-(으)ㄹ 리가 없다」, you can first understand it as meaning “Based on what I currently know, there is no reasonable way this could be true.” In Japanese, if the focus is on inference from information, 「〜はずがない」 is very close. If the sentence is more like “How could that possibly be true?” or “There’s absolutely no way,” 「〜わけがない」 is also often a natural equivalent.

Korean 「-(으)ㄹ 리가 없다」 usually appears when the speaker already has a basis for their judgment. Someone is abroad, so there’s no way they can be here; the announcement date is tomorrow, so the results cannot already be out today; the speaker knows someone’s habits well, so it is difficult to believe that person would do a certain thing. These sentences all have one thing in common: before saying “that’s impossible,” the speaker already has a reason in mind.

If the issue is simply a lack of time, a lack of ability, or real-world circumstances that prevent something from happening, 「-(으)ㄹ 수 없다」 is generally used instead. When you encounter 「그럴 리가 없어요」, first look at the surrounding context for information that would make the speaker so certain. That will usually help explain why 「-(으)ㄹ 리가 없다」 is being used rather than another Korean expression meaning “cannot” or “impossible.”

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