Meaning and Usage
'도저히' is an adverb used exclusively with negative expressions to emphasize that something is absolutely impossible or cannot be done by any means. It often appears with verbs like '못 하다' (cannot do), '없다' (there is no way), or '지 않다' (do not).
Common Contexts
You will hear '도저히' in situations where the speaker wants to stress the impossibility or extreme difficulty of an action or situation, such as lack of time, inability to understand, or emotional endurance.
Collocations and Patterns
- 도저히 + 못 + verb: emphasizes absolute inability to do something.
- 도저히 + 지 못하다: formal way to express impossibility.
- 도저히 + -지 않다: used to stress that something cannot be done.
Register and Politeness
'도저히' is neutral in formality and can be used in both spoken and written Korean. It is common in everyday conversation as well as formal contexts.
Common Mistake
Learners sometimes use '도저히' with positive verbs, which is incorrect. Always pair '도저히' with a negative verb form to express impossibility.