어차피 V+ 을/ㄹ 텐데 뭐 하러

It is used to mean that the behavior of the following clause is of no use because the result is almost certain. Usually, a question form is used for the following clause. If the stem of the action verb ends with a vowel or ‘ㄹ’, you use ‘-ㄹ 텐데’. If it ends with another consonant, you should use ‘-을 텐데’.

가: 내일이 시험인데 공부 안 해?
Aren’t you studying for the exam tomorrow?
나: 어차피 떨어질 텐데 뭐 하러 공부해?
I’m going to fail it anyway, for what should I study?

민수한테 지금 열심히 설명해도 어차피 내일이면 다 잊어버릴 텐데 뭐 하러 그렇게 열심히 가르쳐?
Even if you explain it to Minsu, he’ll forget everything by tomorrow. Why are you teaching him so hard?

어차피 또 더러워질 텐데 뭐 하러 그렇게 열심히 청소해요?
It will get dirty again anyway, why are you cleaning it so hard?

Conversation:

서연아, 다음 주에 우리 동아리에서 북한산으로 등산 가는데 참석할 거야?
Seo-yeon, our hiking club is going to go hiking next week, are you going to join us?

아니, 안 갈래. 난 등산 싫어해.
No, I’m not going. I hate mountain climbing.

나는 등산 진짜 좋아하는데…. 너는 왜 싫어해?
I really like mountain climbing…. Why do you hate it?

힘들잖아. 이런 땡볕에 땀 흘리는 건 딱 질색이거든.
It’s strenuous. I loathe sweating in the blazing sun.

산 정상에 올라가면 얼마나 시원한데.
But it’s so cool when you get to the top of the mountain.

어차피 내려올 텐데 뭐 하러 힘들게 올라가?
Why do you climb up so hard? You are going to come down anyway.

기분도 상쾌하고 성취감도 느낄 수 있으니까 다들 산을 오르는 거지.
Everyone climbs the mountain because it’s refreshing and you also can feel fulfillment.

난 덥고 다리 아플 것 같아서 안 갈래.
I’m not going because it would be hot and my legs would get hurt.

Related words
땡볕 blazing sun
질색 loathe
어차피 anyway
성취감 fulfillment

Source: Yonsei University. Korean Language Institute