Korean grammar patterns › Level 5
-다 못해
unable to keep …, finally; so … that it goes beyond
Level 5 · TOPIK II · advanced
How to use it
1) With verbs (참다, 기다리다, 보다): after doing it as long as possible, finally clause 2 happens. 2) With adjectives: the state is so extreme it turns into a stronger state (덥다 못해 뜨겁다).
Forming it
| 참다 | → 참다 못해 |
| 기다리다 | → 기다리다 못해 |
| 덥다 | → 덥다 못해 |
Examples
참다 못해 결국 화를 냈어요.
I couldn't hold it in any longer and finally got angry.
날씨가 덥다 못해 뜨거울 정도예요.
The weather is beyond hot, it's practically burning.
Compared with similar patterns
-(으)ㄹ 정도로 just shows degree; -다 못해 says the limit was passed (patience ran out, or a state went beyond itself).