Nearly Miss -을 뻔했다

Category
Intermediate Grammar
Keyword #
상태, 임계

TL;DR

  • Use -을/를 뻔했다 after a verb stem to express "almost did something" or "nearly happened" (but didn't!) 😅
  • This pattern always carries a sense of relief or regret about something that almost occurred but was avoided at the last moment 🙏
  • Attach -을 뻔했다 to action verbs when describing close calls, near misses, or situations where you barely escaped something 💨

What Does It Mean? 🤔

-을/를 뻔했다 is how you express those heart-stopping moments when something almost happened but didn't quite 😰
It's perfect for talking about:
  • Close calls ("I almost missed the bus!") 🚌
  • Narrow escapes ("I nearly fell!") 😱
  • Things you barely avoided ("I almost forgot my wallet!") 💸
The key feeling here is relief or regret that something didn't actually happen! 🎯

How to Use It 📝

The formula is super simple! 🌟
Verb stem + -을/를 뻔했다
  • If the verb stem ends in a consonant → use -을 뻔했다
  • If the verb stem ends in a vowel → use -를 뻔했다

Examples 💬

→ 늦을 뻔했어요!
(I almost was late!) ⏰
→ 버스를 놓칠 뻔했어요.
(I nearly missed the bus.) 🚌
→ 넘어질 뻔했어요.
(I almost fell down.) 🤕
→ 지갑을 잃어버릴 뻔했어요.
(I almost lost my wallet.) 💸
→ 비밀을 말할 뻔했어요.
(I nearly told the secret.) 🤐
→ 차에 치일 뻔했어요!
(I almost got hit by a car!) 🚗
→ 울 뻔했어요.
(I nearly cried.) 😢
→ 깜짝 놀라서 소리 지를 뻔했어요.
(I was so startled I almost screamed.) 😱

Important Notes ⚠️

This is for things that DIDN'T happen! 🚫
The whole point of -을/를 뻔했다 is that the action almost occurred but ultimately didn't! If it actually happened, you can't use this pattern 🙅‍♀️
It often comes with a sense of relief 😮‍💨
When you use this grammar, there's usually an implied "phew!" or "thank goodness!" feeling attached to it! You're expressing that you're glad (or sometimes regretful) that something didn't happen ✨

Exceptions 🔍

Watch out for irregular verbs! 🎪
Some verbs undergo stem changes before adding -을/를 뻔했다:
  • 듣다 (to listen) → 들을 뻔했다 (NOT 듣을 뻔했다) 👂
  • 걷다 (to walk) → 걸을 뻔했다 (NOT 걷을 뻔했다) 🚶
  • 묻다 (to ask) → 물을 뻔했다 (NOT 묻을 뻔했다) ❓
These are the same ㄷ irregular verbs you've seen before! 📚
 
Try the following exercise.
Fill in the blanks using -을/를 뻔했다 to express "almost" or "nearly." 📝
 
  • 아침에 늦게 일어나서 버스를 _.
      • Answer
      놓칠 뻔했다
 
 
  • 길에서 미끄러져서 _.
      • Answer
      넘어질 뻔했다
 
 
  • 중요한 회의를 _.
      • Answer
      잊어버릴 뻔했다
 
 
  • 운전하다가 다른 차와 _.
      • Answer
      부딪힐 뻔했다
 
 
  • 비밀을 친구에게 _.
      • Answer
      말할 뻔했다
 
 
  • 계단에서 _.
      • Answer
      떨어질 뻔했다
 
 
  • 지갑을 택시에 _.
      • Answer
      두고 올 뻔했다
 
 
  • 시험 날짜를 잘못 알아서 시험을 _.
      • Answer
      못 볼 뻔했다
 
 
  • 음식을 너무 많이 먹어서 _.
      • Answer
      배탈 날 뻔했다
 
 
  • 친구 생일을 _.
      • Answer
      깜빡할 뻔했다
 
Vocabulary
늦게 - late
일어나다 - to wake up
버스 - bus
놓치다 - to miss
미끄러지다 - to slip
넘어지다 - to fall over
회의 - meeting
잊어버리다 - to forget
부딪히다 - to collide
비밀 - secret
계단 - stairs
떨어지다 - to fall down
지갑 - wallet
두고 오다 - to leave behind
배탈 나다 - to get an upset stomach
깜빡하다 - to forget/space out
Common mistakes
  • 🚫 Don't forget to use the past tense form (뻔했다), not just 뻔하다
  • 🚫 Remember to use -을 after consonants and -ㄹ after vowels (먹을 뻔했다 vs 갈 뻔했다)
  • ⚠️ This pattern expresses relief that something bad didn't happen - don't use it for positive situations
  • 💡 The action must be something that was close to happening but ultimately didn't occur