-아/어 내다

To achieve, To manage to do, To pull off, To finish through effort

Explanation

This expression is used to indicate that the subject was able to complete some task after experiencing some difficulty or was finally able to finish the task alone. Thus it is used together with both verbs related to carrying out or completing tasks and verbs that indicate the surmounting of some obstacle. For this reason, it is not used with retention verbs such as 놓다, 두다 and 가지다.

Details

When used together with verbs such as ‘알다’, ‘찾다’, ‘하다’, ‘밝히다’ this expression is written together as 알아내다, 찾아내다, 해내다 and 밝혀내다 without a space.

여기저기 수소문하여 초등학교 동창의 연락처를 알아냈다.
경찰은 사건을 해결할 수 있는 결정적인 증거를 찾아냈다.
배우 류승호 씨는 위험한 액션 연기를 대역 배우 없이 해냈다.

수소문하다: to ask around (for information)
대역 배우: stunt double