Welcome to today’s Korean language lesson! Our topic of discussion is a very expressive and useful grammar structure: “-(으)ㄹ 뻔했다“, which is often used to describe situations that almost happened, but didn’t.
This grammar point is instrumental in communicating near-miss experiences, or moments when something was about to occur but was narrowly avoided. Have you ever missed a bus by a whisker, almost spilled your coffee, or nearly forgot a friend’s birthday? The “-(으)ㄹ 뻔했다” structure is precisely what you need to express such scenarios in Korean!
By the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to incorporate “-(으)ㄹ 뻔했다” into your conversations with ease, enhancing your ability to describe more complex and nuanced situations. We’ll delve into its structure, usage rules, nuances, and offer plenty of examples to help you grasp the concept thoroughly.
So, are you ready to discover the art of expressing ‘almost’ in Korean? Let’s delve into the fascinating world of “-(으)ㄹ 뻔했다”. 화이팅! (Fighting, or let’s do this!)
Conjugation
VERB STEM + (으)ㄹ 뻔했다
- Take a verb i.e. 하다
- Drop “다” i.e. 하
- Add the relevant structure based on the below rules (in this case it becomes 할 뻔했다)
- If the verb ends in a vowel, add ㄹ 뻔했다
- If the verb ends in a consonant, add 을 뻔했다
- If the verb ends in a consonant “ㄹ”, add 뻔했다
- 먹다 –> 먹 + 을 뻔했다 –> 먹을 뻔했다 (Almost ate)
- 사다 –> 사 + ㄹ 뻔했다 –> 살 뻔했다 (Almost bought)
- 가다 –> 가 + ㄹ 뻔했다 –> 갈 뻔했다 (Almost went)
Understanding the meaning of “(으)ㄹ 뻔했다
Understanding “-(으)ㄹ 뻔했다” goes beyond merely knowing its translation as “almost”. It’s about comprehending the cultural and linguistic implications that come with using this expression in the Korean language. This structure is particularly powerful in expressing near-miss situations or events that almost took place, offering a window into one’s thought process or emotions at that moment.
(으)ㄹ 뻔했다 is a construct that reveals a scenario that came close to happening but didn’t materialize. In expressing this, the speaker indicates that there was a potential outcome that, for one reason or another, was narrowly avoided.
Let’s take the sentence: “버스를 놓칠 뻔했다”, which translates to “I almost missed the bus”. Here, the speaker didn’t actually miss the bus but was very close to experiencing that situation. The usage of “-(으)ㄹ 뻔했다” conveys the speaker’s relief at having narrowly avoided the undesirable outcome of missing the bus, as well as the tension or surprise that stemmed from the near-miss situation.
This grammar construct is versatile and can be applied in various contexts, be it talking about your daily occurrences or narrating a gripping story. It’s worth noting that the use of “-(으)ㄹ 뻔했다” usually brings a sense of drama or suspense to the conversation, as it indicates a close call or a narrowly-avoided situation.
The key to fully understanding “-(으)ㄹ 뻔했다” is exposure and practice. The more you use it in various situations and contexts, the more comfortable you’ll become with its nuances. With time and practice, “-(으)ㄹ 뻔했다” will become an integral part of your Korean linguistic repertoire, enabling you to express complex situations and emotions more effectively.
Examples
Let’s look at some examples to help us understand how it is used in sentences.
- 친구의 생일을 잊을 뻔했어요.
- Translation: I almost forgot my friend’s birthday. In this sentence, you’re expressing that you nearly forgot your friend’s birthday, but something reminded you in time.
- 계단에서 넘어질 뻔했어요.
- Translation: I almost fell down the stairs. Here, you’re indicating that you came close to falling down the stairs, but thankfully, you didn’t.
- 커피를 흘릴 뻔했어요.
- Translation: I almost spilled the coffee. This sentence implies that you were on the brink of spilling your coffee, but you managed to avoid it.
- 자동차 사고가 날 뻔했어요.
- Translation: I almost had a car accident. In this instance, you’re expressing that a car accident was narrowly averted.
- 지각할 뻔했어요.
- Translation: I almost was late. This sentence indicates that you were close to being late but managed to arrive on time.
- 가방을 잃어버릴 뻔했어요.
- Translation: I almost lost my bag. Here, you’re expressing the relief at not losing your bag even though you came close to it.
You can also change the sentence to a negative one.
- 그 책을 안 읽을 뻔했어요.
- Translation: I almost didn’t read that book. This sentence means that you were close to not reading the book, perhaps due to lack of time or interest, but you ended up doing so. It also implies that by reading it, it had some sort of benefit to you.
- 그녀의 전화를 안 받을 뻔했어요.
- Translation: I almost didn’t answer her call. Here, you’re implying that you were close to not answering her call, but you decided to take it. This indicates that maybe you learned something important from her or that taking that call was beneficial for you.
- 저녁을 안 먹을 뻔했어요.
- Translation: I almost didn’t eat dinner. In this sentence, you’re expressing that you almost skipped dinner, but in the end, you ate.
- 공부를 안 할 뻔했어요.
- Translation: I almost didn’t study. Here, you’re indicating that you were close to not studying, perhaps due to procrastination, but you ended up doing so. This also indicates that there would have been some sort of consequence if you haven’t studied i.e. did not do well in an exam.
Activity 1
Translate the following sentences to Korean.
- I almost fell asleep.
- He almost missed the train.
- We almost forgot the meeting.
- They almost didn’t finish the project.
- She almost lost her phone.
Activity 2
Fill in the gaps.
- 추워서 감기 ___________. (I almost caught a cold because it was cold.)
- 그는 비행기를 _________. (He almost missed the plane.)
- 우리는 다른 버스를 _________. (We almost took another bus.)
- 집에 키를 __________. (I almost left my keys at home.)
- 실수를 __________. (I almost made a mistake.)
Activity 3
Translate the following to English.
- 저는 그를 만날 뻔했어요.
- 그녀는 눈물을 흘릴 뻔했어요.
- 우리는 그 사실을 몰랐을 뻔했어요.
- 그들은 사고가 날 뻔했어요.
- 저는 티켓을 사지 않을 뻔했어요.
Activity 1 Answers
- I almost fell asleep. – 잠들 뻔 했어요.
- He almost missed the train. – 그는 기차를 놓칠 뻔했어요.
- We almost forgot the meeting. – 우리는 회의를 잊을 뻔했어요.
- They almost didn’t finish the project. – 그들은 프로젝트를 안 끝낼 뻔했어요.
- She almost lost her phone. – 그녀는 핸드폰을 잃어버릴 뻔 했어요.
Activity 2 Answers
- 추워서 감기 걸릴 뻔했어요. (I almost caught a cold because it was cold.)
- 그는 비행기를 놓질 뻔했어요. (He almost missed the plane.)
- 우리는 다른 버스를 탈 뻔했어요. (We almost took another bus.)
- 집에 키를 두고 올 뻔했어요. (I almost left my keys at home.)
- 실수를 할 뻔했어요. (I almost made a mistake.)
Activity 3 Answers
- 저는 그를 만날 뻔했어요. – I almost met him.
- 그녀는 눈물을 흘릴 뻔했어요. – She almost cried.
- 우리는 그 사실을 몰랐을 뻔했어요. – We almost didn’t know that fact.
- 그들은 사고가 날 뻔했어요. – They almost got into an accident.
- 저는 티켓을 사지 않을 뻔했어요. – I almost didn’t buy the tickets.