-(으)ㄹ 법하다 (likely / plausible)

What it means

-(으)ㄹ 법하다 means "it's likely", "it makes sense that" or "it would be natural to". Looking at the situation, anyone would expect it. It's like saying "no wonder..." or "that's understandable".

How to make it

• Stem ending in a vowel + ㄹ 법하다: 화가 나다 → 화가 날 법해요
• Stem ending in a consonant + 을 법하다: 있다 → 있을 법하다
• Stem ending in ㄹ + 법하다 (just add 법하다): 알다 → 알 법하다
• Past: + 았/었을 법하다: 해 보다 → 해 봤을 법한
• Before a noun: -(으)ㄹ 법한 + noun: 있을 법한 이야기 (a plausible story)
• -(으)ㄹ 법도 하다 = "it would be understandable / it should". It is often followed by -는데 when the real result was different: 합격할 법도 한데 떨어졌어요.
• It is more common in writing and formal speech.

When to use it

• Understanding someone's reaction: 그렇게 오래 기다렸으면 화가 날 법해요. (If you waited that long, it's natural to get angry.)
• Describing a realistic story: 이 영화는 실제로 있을 법한 이야기예요. (This movie is a story that could really happen.)
• Expectation vs reality: 그 정도 실력이면 합격할 법도 한데 떨어졌어요. (With that level of skill he should have passed, but he failed.)
• Common experiences: 누구나 한 번쯤 해 봤을 법한 고민이에요. (It's a worry that anyone has probably had at least once.)

Compare

• -(으)ㄹ 것 같다 = my personal guess: 비가 올 것 같아요. (I think it will rain.) -(으)ㄹ 법하다 = reasonable by common sense, so it sounds more objective: 화가 날 법해요. (Anyone would get angry.)
• -(으)ㄹ 만하다 = "worth doing": 볼 만한 영화 (a movie worth watching). -(으)ㄹ 법하다 = "likely": 있을 법한 이야기 (a story that could happen).

Common mistakes

• ❌ 화가 나는 법해요 → ✅ 화가 날 법해요 (always the -(으)ㄹ form before 법)
• ❌ 알을 법해요 → ✅ 알 법해요 (ㄹ stems don't add 을)
• ❌ 내일 비가 올 법해요 (a simple weather guess) → ✅ 내일 비가 올 것 같아요 (for a simple personal guess, -(으)ㄹ 것 같다 sounds more natural)