Learn Korean: Verb + 밖에 없다

Let’s take a look at the Korean sentence pattern Verb + 밖에 없다. We use this to express This is all (topic), nothing/nobody else. The topic can be anything such as something we have, we can do, want to do, etc. Then we use 밖에 없다 to make a limitation (only this). If I am being interrogated by the police for a crime incident and I can no longer feed information, I would say This is all I know / What I know is only this. The main verb is 알다 (to know). We take the verb stem (알) and attach 는 것. However, when ㄹ is followed by ㄴ, it disappears. So we say 아는 걸 instead of 알는 걸. 것 is often simplified into 거 or 게. 아는 것 means the thing/s I know (what I know). Then, we add 밖에 없다. It is preceded by a noun, in this case, the word this 이것(이거). 이것밖에 없다 means nothing except this. When combined, the actual sentence is 아는 게 이거밖에 없어(요). Here's another example. Let’s say I trust on one except you or You are the only one I trust. The main verb is 믿다 (to trust). We take the verb stem and attach 는 것. 믿는 것 means what/who I trust. Because what we trust is a person, we can replace 것 with 사람. 믿는 사람 means the person I trust. Then we add 밖에 없다. It is preceded by a noun, in this case, the word you. There are many ways to say you in Korean so be sure to use the most appropriate one. If you were my friend, 너 would be alright. 너밖에 없다 means no one except you. When combined, the actual sentence is 믿는 사람 너밖에 없어(요). It is essential that we know how to conjugate verbs in their (ㄴ/은/는/ㄹ/을) + 것 form.

필요한 게 돈밖에 없어.

Money is all I need. I don’t need anything except money.

해줄 수 있는 게 위로밖에 없어.

The only thing I can do for you is comfort. Comfort is all I can do for you.

하고 싶은 게 그거밖에 없어요.

That is all what I want to do, nothing more. All I want to do is that only.