Regardless -든(지) in Korean

In Brief

Attach -든(지) to alternatives when the choice does not affect the main statement: 비가 오든 눈이 오든 가요 means “I’ll go whether it rains or snows.” With question words, it creates unrestricted meanings such as 뭐든지 “anything,” 누구든지 “anyone,” and 어디든지 “anywhere.” The shorter -든 and fuller -든지 usually express the same core idea.

Overview

Korean -든(지) presents one or more possibilities as equally acceptable, irrelevant, or unable to change the outcome. It can correspond to several English expressions: “whether,” “whether or not,” “no matter which,” “any,” “whoever,” and “wherever.” The most natural translation depends on the words around it rather than on -든지 alone.

This B2 pattern builds on the idea of a condition, but it is not an ordinary “if.” -(으)면 introduces a condition whose fulfillment matters: 비가 오면 안 가요 means “If it rains, I won’t go.” -든(지) deliberately removes that dependency: 비가 오든 안 오든 가요 means “I’ll go whether it rains or not.”

You will meet -든(지) in everyday choices, invitations, promises, rules, and statements of indifference. It is especially common with expressions such as 상관없다 “not matter,” 괜찮다 “be fine,” and 마음대로 “as one wishes,” but those words are not required when the context already makes the unrestricted meaning clear.

How It Works

Attaching it to predicates

A predicate is the verb or descriptive verb that says what happens or what something is like. Remove the dictionary ending -다 and add -든지 or -든. There is no vowel/consonant choice and no extra 으.

Dictionary form	Stem	Form with -든지	Basic sense
가다	가-	가든지	whether one goes
먹다	먹-	먹든지	whether one eats
살다	살-	살든지	whether one lives
춥다	춥-	춥든지	whether it is cold
바쁘다	바쁘-	바쁘든지	whether one is busy
아니다	아니-	아니든지	whether it is not / whether or not

The ending does not itself mark politeness. Politeness normally appears in the final clause: 누가 오든 괜찮아요 is polite because of 괜찮아요, while 누가 오든 괜찮아 is informal.

Paired alternatives: A-든(지) B-든(지)

The clearest structure is a pair of alternatives:

A-든(지) B-든(지) + result

• 버스로 가든 지하철로 가든 한 시간쯤 걸려요. — Whether you go by bus or subway, it takes about an hour.
• 싸든 비싸든 필요한 건 사야 해요. — Whether it is cheap or expensive, we have to buy what we need.

Korean commonly marks both alternatives, although context may allow the final -든(지) to be left out in some choice constructions. For a clear “whether A or B, the result is the same” sentence, marking both is the safest learner pattern.

Positive versus negative: “whether or not”

Repeat the predicate with 안, or use its normal negative form:

• 가든 안 가든 — whether one goes or not
• 먹든 안 먹든 — whether one eats or not
• 있든 없든 — whether there is/has it or not
• 알든 모르든 — whether one knows or not

Fixed-looking pairs do not always repeat the same verb. Korean often chooses natural opposites, as in 좋든 싫든 “whether you like it or not” and 알든 모르든 “whether knowingly or not.”

Nouns: (이)든(지)

After a noun, use 이든(지) after a final consonant and 든(지) after a vowel. This is the same sound pattern found in many Korean particle combinations.

Noun	Form	Meaning in context
책	책이든지	whether it is a book / any book
학생	학생이든	whether the person is a student
누구	누구든지	anyone / whoever
장소	장소든	whichever place / whether it is a place...

In a pair, noun forms often mean “whether it is A or B”: 학생이든 직장인이든 신청할 수 있어요 — “Whether you are a student or an office worker, you can apply.”

Question words: “any-” and “-ever”

Adding -든(지) to a question word removes the request for one specific answer. Instead of asking who? or where?, the expression opens the whole set of possible answers.

Form	Common English meanings
뭐든지 / 무엇이든지	anything, whatever
누구든지	anyone, whoever
어디든지	anywhere, wherever
언제든지	anytime, whenever
어느 것이든지	any one, whichever one
어떻게 하든지	however one does it, no matter how

Other particles can combine with this pattern when the sentence requires them. They commonly come before 든지: 누구에게든지 “to anyone,” 어디에서든지 “anywhere,” and 무엇으로든지 “with anything/by any means.” The exact combination depends on the expression’s role in the sentence.

Do not assume that English “any” always requires -든지. In negative sentences, Korean often uses 아무도 “nobody/not anyone,” 아무것도 “nothing/not anything,” or 아무 데도 “nowhere/not anywhere” with a negative predicate. 누구든지 안 왔어요 is not the normal way to say “Nobody came”; use 아무도 안 왔어요.

Free choice versus indifference

The same form supports two closely connected readings:

1. Free choice: every option is available. 어디든지 편한 자리에 앉으세요. — Sit anywhere you like.
2. Irrelevance: the option does not change the conclusion. 어디에 앉든 수업은 잘 보여요. — Wherever you sit, you can see the class well.

English separates these with words such as “any” and “no matter where.” Korean often lets the larger sentence make the distinction.

Examples in Context

Korean	English	Note
비가 오든 눈이 오든 가요.	I’ll go whether it rains or snows.	Two conditions, same result
뭐든지 먹을 수 있어요.	I can eat anything.	Unrestricted object
누가 오든 상관없어요.	It doesn’t matter who comes.	Identity is irrelevant
어디든 가고 싶어요.	I want to go anywhere.	Free choice of destination
가든 안 가든 오늘 결정하세요.	Whether you go or not, decide today.	Positive-negative pair
커피든 차든 저는 다 좋아요.	Coffee or tea—either is fine with me.	Nouns with (이)든
학생이든 직장인이든 누구나 참여할 수 있어요.	Whether you are a student or an office worker, anyone can participate.	Categories do not affect eligibility
언제든지 편할 때 전화하세요.	Call whenever it is convenient.	Open invitation
어떤 방법을 쓰든 결과는 같아요.	Whichever method you use, the result is the same.	어떤 + noun + -든
무슨 일이 생기든지 먼저 연락하세요.	Whatever happens, contact me first.	Unknown event, same instruction
네가 무엇을 선택하든 나는 응원할게.	Whatever you choose, I’ll support you.	Promise unaffected by choice
버스로 오든 걸어서 오든 늦지만 마세요.	Whether you come by bus or on foot, just don’t be late.	Means are unrestricted
사실이든 아니든 먼저 확인해 봅시다.	Whether it is true or not, let’s check first.	Noun plus 아니다
어느 팀이 이기든 재미있는 경기가 될 거예요.	Whichever team wins, it will be an exciting game.	Unknown winner, unchanged prediction

Common Mistakes

Confusing -든지 with the past-looking -던지

• Wrong: 비가 오던지 눈이 오던지 갈 거예요.
• Right: 비가 오든지 눈이 오든지 갈 거예요.
• Why: -든지 presents alternatives. -던지 belongs to a different pattern associated with recalling a past experience, often with an emphatic result: 얼마나 춥던지 손이 얼었어요 (“It was so cold that my hands froze”). In standard spelling, they are not interchangeable.

Using -(으)면 when the condition is supposed to be irrelevant

• Wrong for the intended meaning: 비가 오면 눈이 오면 가요.
• Right: 비가 오든 눈이 오든 가요.
• Why: -(으)면 means “if/when” and makes the result conditional. -든 says that either weather condition leads to the same result.

Adding 으 after a consonant

• Wrong: 먹으든지, 읽으든지
• Right: 먹든지, 읽든지
• Why: Unlike -(으)면, -든지 attaches directly to the stem, even after a consonant.

Forgetting 이 after a consonant-final noun

• Wrong: 책든지 잡지든지 읽으세요.
• Right: 책이든지 잡지든지 읽으세요.
• Why: Nouns take (이)든지: 이든지 after a consonant and 든지 after a vowel.

Translating negative English “any” literally

• Wrong for “Nobody can enter”: 누구든지 들어갈 수 없어요.
• Right: 아무도 들어갈 수 없어요.
• Why: 누구든지 normally means “anyone/everyone is eligible.” Under negation, English “any” often corresponds to an 아무- expression plus a negative Korean predicate.

Usage Notes

Both -든 and -든지 are common. The shorter form is especially frequent in balanced pairs and “no matter” clauses: 하든 말든, 누가 오든, 어디에 있든. The fuller form is common in forms such as 뭐든지 and 언제든지, and it can make separate options easier to hear. This is usually a matter of rhythm and construction, not a simple formal-versus-informal split.

A sentence with -든지 can sound welcoming, neutral, dismissive, or defiant depending on vocabulary and tone. 언제든지 물어보세요 is warm and helpful. 네가 하든 말든 상관없어 (“I don’t care whether you do it or not”) can sound cold because 상관없어 explicitly dismisses the other person’s choice. Grammar alone does not make the sentence rude, but the surrounding expression can.

In directions and advice, A-든지 B-든지 하다 may offer alternatives rather than emphasize an unchanged result: 택시를 타든지 버스를 타든지 하세요 means “Take a taxi or a bus.” In casual Korean, -거나 is also very common for a straightforward “or.” Use -든지 when free choice or indifference is prominent; use -거나 when simply listing alternatives is enough.

Beyond the Basics / Advanced Use

Past and completed possibilities

When the alternatives concern a completed event, -았/었든(지) may appear:

• 어디에서 샀든 영수증이 필요해요. — Wherever you bought it, you need the receipt.
• 누가 먼저 시작했든 지금은 멈춰야 해요. — Whoever started first, it has to stop now.

The past marker belongs to the predicate before -든. The speaker may not know which possibility is true, but the conclusion applies to all of them.

Making “regardless” explicit

The expanded expressions -든지 간에 and -든 상관없이 make the unrestricted meaning explicit. They are useful when the sentence contains several details and the relationship might otherwise be unclear. -든지 간에 means roughly “regardless of which possibility,” while 상관없이 literally means “without relation to / regardless of.”

• 결과가 어떻든지 간에 최선을 다합시다. — Regardless of the result, let’s do our best.
• 나이에 상관없이 누구든 참여할 수 있어요. — Anyone can participate regardless of age.

-든 말든 and speaker attitude

-든 말든 literally sets “do it” against “not do it” and means “whether [someone] does it or not.” It is compact and common, but it can signal impatience or detachment:

• 믿든 말든 사실이에요. — Believe it or not, it is true.
• 오든 말든 네 마음이야. — Whether you come or not is up to you.

Use it carefully in polite interaction. A fuller phrase such as 오셔도 되고 안 오셔도 돼요 (“It is fine whether you come or not”) may sound more considerate when genuinely giving someone permission.

Embedded alternatives

A clause is a group of words built around a predicate. An embedded clause sits inside a larger sentence. With verbs such as 모르다 “not know” or 결정하다 “decide,” -든지 can mark alternatives that must be resolved:

• 갈지 말지 아직 모르겠어요 is the standard “I don’t know whether I’ll go,” using -는지/-ㄴ지 for an indirect question.
• 가든지 말든지 네가 결정해 means “You decide whether to go or not,” emphasizing that either choice is yours.

This contrast matters: -는지/-ㄴ지 packages an unknown question, while -든지 highlights open alternatives or indifference. Their shared 지 does not make them the same ending.

Practice Tips

1. Build three-way sets. Take one predicate and say a condition, an irrelevant alternative, and a direct choice: 비가 오면, 비가 오든 안 오든, 비가 오거나 눈이 오거나. This prevents English “if,” “whether,” and “or” from collapsing into one Korean form.
2. Cycle through question words. Make one useful sentence each with 뭐든지, 누구든지, 어디든지, 언제든지. Then change the sentence to a negative and check whether Korean instead needs 아무것도, 아무도, 아무 데도, or another negative expression.
3. Listen for the final clause. When you hear -든, wait for words such as 상관없다, 괜찮다, 같다, or a command. The final clause tells you whether the speaker is offering free choice, stating indifference, or saying that the outcome remains unchanged.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Conditional -(으)면 — compare a condition that affects the outcome with alternatives that do not.