Breakdown of eojjeomyeon oneul gichaga neujeuljido mollayo.
~가~ga
subject particle
오늘oneul
today
모르다moreuda
to not know
늦다neutda
late
Questions & Answers about eojjeomyeon oneul gichaga neujeuljido mollayo.
What does 어쩌면 mean and why is it used here?
어쩌면 is an adverb meaning “perhaps” or “maybe.” It’s used to introduce a speculation or possibility before the main clause. Placing it at the beginning signals that what follows is not certain, just a guess.
What is the grammatical structure -을지도 몰라요?
Breakdown of -을지도 몰라요:
- -을지: a suffix adding uncertainty to a verb/adjective stem (for stems ending in a consonant; use -ㄹ지 after a vowel).
- -도: an emphatic particle here reinforcing “even that.”
- 모르다: “to not know.”
When combined, -을지도 모르다 literally means “one doesn’t know if (something will happen),” but idiomatically it becomes “might,” “may,” or “could.” In polite present it’s -을지도 몰라요.
Why is 늦다 changed to 늦을 before 지도 몰라요, and not 늦지도 몰라요?
You need to attach -을지 to the verb stem:
• Verb stem of 늦다 is 늦- (ends in a consonant), so you add -을, giving 늦을.
• Then add -지, -도, and 모르다 → 늦을지도 몰라요.
If you said 늦지도 몰라요, that would use 늦다 + -지 몰라요 (“might not be late”), which reverses the meaning.
Why do we use 몰라요 here if we’re talking about what might happen, not about “not knowing”?