설마 A/V-겠어요?usage
Surely not?
A sentence with this pattern starts with 설마 and ends in -겠어요? Rather than asking a genuine question, it makes clear that the speaker thinks the situation will not occur or cannot be true. It can reassure someone who is worried or cast doubt on something difficult to believe. Among people who are close, the casual form is 설마 -겠어? For past events, use 설마 -았/었겠어요? This is a spoken pattern. Because it concerns an outcome the speaker does not want, use 혹시 instead when asking in hope of good news.
접속 conjugation
- 설마 + verb or adjective stem + -겠어요?
- 늦다설마 늦겠어요?
- 비싸다설마 비싸겠어요?
- Past event
- 설마 + stem + -았/었겠어요? : 잊다설마 잊었겠어요?
- 떠나다설마 벌써 떠났겠어요?
- Noun
- 설마 + noun + (이)겠어요? : 거짓말설마 거짓말이겠어요?
- 실수설마 실수겠어요?
예문
EXAMPLES
그렇게 꼼꼼한 사람이 설마 서류를 빠뜨렸겠어요?
Surely someone that meticulous wouldn't have left out a document?from 2026.10.16 Fri the examples
이미 두 번이나 확정했는데 설마 또 바뀌겠어요? 그래도 전날 한 번 더 연락해 보세요.
We’ve already confirmed it twice. Surely it won’t change again? Still, contact them once more the day before.from 2026.10.16 Fri the business dialogue
이렇게 준비를 많이 했는데 설마 떨어지겠어요?
I’ve prepared this much—surely I won’t fail, will I?from 2026.10.17 Sat the examples
회사가 그렇게 큰 손해를 봤는데 설마 사장님이 모르셨겠어요?
The company suffered such a huge loss—surely the president knew about it, didn’t they?from 2026.10.17 Sat the examples
평일 저녁인데 설마 그렇게 붐비겠어요? 걱정 말고 다녀오세요.
It’s a weekday evening—surely it won’t be that crowded. Don’t worry, and go check it out.from 2026.10.17 Sat from.旅遊對話
설마 A/V-겠어요? vs. 혹시、설마 -(으)ㄹ까요?
※혹시 cautiously asks while leaving the possibility open, whereas 설마 speaks from the assumption that it cannot be so 설마 -(으)ㄹ까요? asks about the doubt more cautiously, while 설마 -겠어요? makes the speaker’s judgment that it cannot be so clearerAppears in
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