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I came across this sentence 힘이 다할 때까지 which means as I understood "until (your) strength runs out". 힘이 means power/strength, and once I looked for 다할, it says it comes from the verb 다하다.
But what does the '-ㄹ' stands for after '다하'? I need more explanation about this verb and '-ㄹ' and its uses and if possible a few examples.
It's one of attributive endings (관형 어미) which transform a predicate (verbs, adjectives) into a modifier of the following noun. When attached to a sentence, they make the sentence something like a relative clause in English.
There are four common attributive endings -ㄴ/-은, -ㄹ/-을, -던, and -는. They express different tense and aspect/modal.
-ㄴ/-은 implies a true statement, meaning that X DOES actually have the property of what the predicate states. Can roughly be mapped into present perfect in English - something happened in the past and still effective.
- 존이 집에 간 것을 알고 있어요?
Do you know the fact that John has gone back to home?- 활짝 핀 꽃
fully bloomed flower- 깨끗한 책상
a neat desk
while -ㄹ/-을 attributes possibility, meaning that X may or will have the property. Adjectives do not go with -ㄹ/-을
- 존이 집에 갈 것을 알고 있어요?
Do you know that John will go back to home?- 그런 일이 일어나면 존이 집에 갈 것을 알고 있어요?
Are you aware that, in such a case, John may leave to home?- 활짝 필 꽃봉우리
a bud that will bloom
-던 attributes some property that was true at some point in the past, but not likely at present. Can be roughly mapped into past perfect, or past progress.
- 여기가 수잔이 살던 집이다.
This is the place where Susan used to live. (she doesn't any more.)- 깨끗하던 책상
a desk that were neat
Finally, -는. It's the attributive form from the present tense sentential ending (종결 어미) -ㄴ다/-는다. So it can express
You can think of present tense in English, and they will mostly fit. And again, adjectives do not go with this.
(Disclaimer: I'm not an expert in Korean grammar, but just a native speaker.)
It transforms a verb into an adjective form that qualifies the following noun. In the case of "다할 때", it qualifies "때" which means time. "다할 때" therefore means "the time when (*) runs out".
Another example would be "마를 때", which comes from "마르다" (to dry) + "때". It means "time at which (it) dries".
The noun "수" which means "case" or "possibility" can also come after verb-ㄹ form. For example, "힘이 다할 수도 있다" would mean "strength could run out"; and "마를 수도 있다" means "(it) could dry out".
More examples:
