🔮

Strong Conjecture: -(으)ㄹ 게 뻔하다

Keywords
뻔하다
Lesson #
S
Done
Section
Intermediate Grammar
🎯
TL;DR 🦄
  • 🔮 -(으)ㄹ 게 뻔하다 [-(eu)l ge ppeon-ha-da] means it is obvious / predictable that something will happen.
  • It is a strong conjecture: the speaker feels the result is easy to predict from the situation.
  • Do not confuse it with -(으)ㄹ 뻔하다, which means almost happened, but did not happen.
🔊
🎧 Iru Helper Note — Use
Korean Helper Widgets
Korean Helper Widgets to hear 늦을 게 뻔해요, 비쌀 게 뻔해요, 사람이 많을 게 뻔해요, 실패할 게 뻔해요, and 재미없을 게 뻔해요. Listen for the strong “obvious outcome” feeling. 🎧
 

🌈 The Big Picture

-(으)ㄹ 게 뻔하다 is used when the speaker thinks a future result is very obvious, predictable, or almost certain.
 
Think:
  • “It’s obvious that...”
  • “It’s bound to...”
  • “It’s clearly going to...”
  • “Anyone can see that...”
  • “It’ll obviously...”
 
Examples:
  • 이 시간에는 길이 막힐 게 뻔해요.
      • [i si-ga-ne-neun gi-ri ma-kil ge ppeon-hae-yo] — At this hour, the road is obviously going to be jammed. 🚗
      이 시간 = this time/hour; 길이 막히다 = for traffic/roads to be jammed.
  • 준비를 안 했으니까 어려울 게 뻔해요.
      • [jun-bi-reul an hae-sseu-ni-kka eo-ryeo-ul ge ppeon-hae-yo] — Since they didn’t prepare, it’s obvious it will be difficult. 📚
      준비하다 = to prepare; 어렵다 = to be difficult.
  • 예약을 안 하면 기다릴 게 뻔해요.
      • [ye-ya-geul an ha-myeon gi-da-ril ge ppeon-hae-yo] — If we don’t reserve, it’s obvious we’ll wait. ⏳
      예약하다 = to reserve; 기다리다 = to wait.
 
This pattern is strong. It does not sound like a light guess. It sounds like the evidence is already pointing clearly in one direction. 🔍

🎨 The Core -(으)ㄹ 게 뻔하다 Family

1. Vowel stem + ㄹ 게 뻔하다

Use this when the stem ends in a vowel.
  • 가다 [ga-da] — to go → 갈 게 뻔하다 [gal ge ppeon-ha-da] — it is obvious someone will go
  • 비싸다 [bi-ssa-da] — to be expensive → 비쌀 게 뻔하다 — it is obvious it will be expensive
  • 실패하다 [sil-pae-ha-da] — to fail → 실패할 게 뻔하다 — it is obvious it will fail
  • 후회하다 [hu-hoe-ha-da] — to regret → 후회할 게 뻔하다 — it is obvious someone will regret it
 

2. Consonant stem + 을 게 뻔하다

Use this when the stem ends in a consonant.
  • 먹다 [meok-da] — to eat → 먹을 게 뻔하다 — it is obvious someone will eat
  • 늦다 [neut-da] — to be late → 늦을 게 뻔하다 — it is obvious someone will be late
  • 많다 [man-ta] — to be many/much → 많을 게 뻔하다 — it is obvious there will be many
  • 없다 [eop-da] — to not exist / not have → 없을 게 뻔하다 — it is obvious there won’t be any
 

3. ㄹ-ending stems: keep ㄹ + 게 뻔하다

Do not add another 을.
  • 살다 [sal-da] — to live → 살 게 뻔하다 — it is obvious someone will live
  • 멀다 [meol-da] — to be far → 멀 게 뻔하다 — it is obvious it will be far
  • 힘들다 [him-deul-da] — to be hard/tiring → 힘들 게 뻔하다 — it is obvious it will be hard
 

4. Noun + 일 게 뻔하다

Use 일 게 뻔하다 after nouns.
  • 실수 — mistake → 실수일 게 뻔해요 — it’s obviously a mistake
  • 거짓말 — lie → 거짓말일 게 뻔해요 — it’s obviously a lie
  • 문제 — problem → 문제일 게 뻔해요 — it’s obviously a problem

🛠️ How It Works in a Sentence

  • 주말이라서 사람이 많을 게 뻔해요.
      • [ju-ma-ri-ra-seo sa-ra-mi ma-neul ge ppeon-hae-yo] — Since it’s the weekend, it’s obvious there will be many people. 👥
      주말 = weekend; 사람 = people.
  • 그렇게 말하면 상대방이 기분 나쁠 게 뻔해요.
      • [geu-reo-ke ma-ra-myeon sang-dae-bang-i gi-bun na-ppeul ge ppeon-hae-yo] — If you say it like that, it’s obvious the other person will feel bad. 😬
      그렇게 = like that; 상대방 = the other person; 기분 나쁘다 = to feel bad/offended.
  • 아무 계획 없이 시작하면 실패할 게 뻔해요.
      • [a-mu gye-hoek eop-si si-ja-ka-myeon sil-pae-hal ge ppeon-hae-yo] — If you start without any plan, it’s obvious you’ll fail. 📉
      계획 = plan; 시작하다 = to start; 실패하다 = to fail.

🧩 General Formation Rule

Vowel stems

Remove 다, then add ㄹ 게 뻔하다.
  • 가다 → 갈 게 뻔하다
  • 비싸다 → 비쌀 게 뻔하다
  • 후회하다 → 후회할 게 뻔하다
  • 하다 → 할 게 뻔하다
 

Consonant stems

Remove 다, then add 을 게 뻔하다.
  • 늦다 → 늦을 게 뻔하다
  • 많다 → 많을 게 뻔하다
  • 없다 → 없을 게 뻔하다
  • 먹다 → 먹을 게 뻔하다
 

ㄹ stems

Keep the existing ㄹ, then add 게 뻔하다.
  • 멀다 → 멀 게 뻔하다
  • 힘들다 → 힘들 게 뻔하다
  • 살다 → 살 게 뻔하다
 

Full form and shortened form

  • Full: -(으)ㄹ 것이 뻔하다
  • Shortened: -(으)ㄹ 게 뻔하다
 
Both mean the same thing. The shortened form is very common in speech and learner materials.
✍️
Spacing note
Write spaces between the pieces:
  • ✅ 늦을 게 뻔해요
  • ✅ 비쌀 게 뻔해요
  • ❌ 늦을게뻔해요

🚨 Nuance: Often Negative or Critical

-(으)ㄹ 게 뻔하다 often carries a negative, pessimistic, or critical tone because people use it when the bad result is obvious.
 
Common feeling:
  • “Of course that will go wrong.”
  • “It’s obviously going to be bad.”
  • “That result is predictable.”
 
Examples:
  • 그렇게 급하게 하면 실수할 게 뻔해요.
      • [geu-reo-ke geu-pa-ge ha-myeon sil-su-hal ge ppeon-hae-yo] — If you do it that rushed, it’s obvious you’ll make a mistake.
  • 공부를 안 하면 시험이 어려울 게 뻔해요.
      • [gong-bu-reul an ha-myeon si-heo-mi eo-ryeo-ul ge ppeon-hae-yo] — If you don’t study, it’s obvious the exam will be hard.
 
It can be neutral too, but the “obvious bad outcome” usage is especially common.

🔍 -(으)ㄹ 게 뻔하다 vs Related Grammar

-(으)ㄹ 게 뻔하다

Strong conjecture: the result is obvious/predictable.
  • 늦을 게 뻔해요. — It’s obvious they’ll be late.
 

-(으)ㄹ 뻔하다

Almost happened, but did not happen.
  • 늦을 뻔했어요. — I almost was late.
 
⚠️ Do not confuse:
  • 늦을 게 뻔해요 = It’s obvious someone will be late.
  • 늦을 뻔했어요 = Someone almost was late, but wasn’t.
 

-(으)ㄹ 것 같아요

Soft guess / I think it will.
  • 늦을 것 같아요. — I think they’ll be late.
 

-(으)ㄹ 거예요

Plain future or prediction.
  • 늦을 거예요. — They’ll be late.
 

분명히 ... -(으)ㄹ 거예요

Strong future statement with “definitely.”
  • 분명히 늦을 거예요. — They will definitely be late.
 

-(으)ㄹ지도 몰라요

Maybe / might; weak, uncertain guess.
  • 늦을지도 몰라요. — They might be late.

📚 Cross-check note

This pattern uses the future/adnominal form -(으)ㄹ plus 것이/게 and 뻔하다, meaning “obvious/evident.” It is related in spelling to
😮
Almost Happened: -(으)ㄹ 뻔하다, but the meaning is different. This lesson also connects with
🔮
Future Tense: (으)ㄹ 거예요,
🧭
Likely Intention: -(으)ㄹ 터이다, and
🌙
Vague Conjecture: -(으)ㄹ지도 모르다. ✅

🪞 Synonym Alert

  • -(으)ㄹ 게 뻔하다 → it is obvious/bound to happen 🔮
  • 분명히 → definitely / clearly ✅
  • 당연히 → naturally / of course 📌
  • 확실하다 → to be certain 🔒
  • 예상되다 → to be expected, more formal 📊
  • 불 보듯 뻔하다 → as obvious as seeing fire; extremely obvious 🔥

⚠️ Pitfalls to Dodge

  • ❌ 늦을 뻔해요 for “It’s obvious they’ll be late” → ✅ 늦을 게 뻔해요.
  • ❌ 먹ㄹ 게 뻔해요 → ✅ 먹을 게 뻔해요.
  • ❌ 만들을 게 뻔해요 → ✅ 만들 게 뻔해요.
  • ❌ 학생 게 뻔해요 → ✅ 학생일 게 뻔해요.
  • ❌ Using it for a tiny uncertain maybe → ✅ Use -(으)ㄹ지도 몰라요 or -(으)ㄹ 것 같아요 for softer guesses.
 
🎉 Now you can make strong predictions in Korean: 늦을 게 뻔해요, 비쌀 게 뻔해요, 사람이 많을 게 뻔해요. Obvious outcome, strong Korean. 🔮✨
 

Try this exercise

Instructions: Complete each sentence with the correct -(으)ㄹ 게 뻔하다 form.
1. 늦다 → 이 시간에는 ＿＿＿＿.
[neut-da → i si-ga-ne-neun ＿＿＿＿]
At this hour, it’s obvious they’ll be late. ⏰
Answer
늦을 게 뻔해요 — consonant stem + 을 게 뻔해요.
2. 비싸다 → 그 식당은 ＿＿＿＿.
[bi-ssa-da → geu sik-dang-eun ＿＿＿＿]
That restaurant is obviously going to be expensive. 🍽️
Answer
비쌀 게 뻔해요 — vowel stem + ㄹ 게 뻔해요.
3. 많다 → 주말이라서 사람이 ＿＿＿＿.
[man-ta → ju-ma-ri-ra-seo sa-ra-mi ＿＿＿＿]
Since it’s the weekend, there will obviously be many people. 👥
Answer
많을 게 뻔해요.
4. 실패하다 → 계획 없이 하면 ＿＿＿＿.
[sil-pae-ha-da → gye-hoek eop-si ha-myeon ＿＿＿＿]
If you do it without a plan, it’s obvious you’ll fail. 📉
Answer
실패할 게 뻔해요.
5. 힘들다 → 혼자 하면 ＿＿＿＿.
[him-deul-da → hon-ja ha-myeon ＿＿＿＿]
If you do it alone, it’s obviously going to be hard. 💪
Answer
힘들 게 뻔해요 — ㄹ stem keeps ㄹ.
6. 거짓말 → 그건 ＿＿＿＿.
[geo-jin-mal → geu-geon ＿＿＿＿]
That is obviously a lie. 🤥
Answer
거짓말일 게 뻔해요 — noun + 일 게 뻔해요.
7. ❌ 먹ㄹ 게 뻔해요 → ✅ ＿＿＿＿
Answer
먹을 게 뻔해요.
8. ❌ 만들을 게 뻔해요 → ✅ ＿＿＿＿
Answer
만들 게 뻔해요.
9. Choose “It’s obvious they’ll be late”:
① 늦을 게 뻔해요.
② 늦을 뻔했어요.
Answer
① — 게 뻔하다 means obvious/predictable.
10. -(으)ㄹ 게 뻔하다 is strongest when:
Answer
The speaker believes the future result is very obvious or predictable.
📚
Vocabulary Box
  • 늦다 → to be late
  • 비싸다 → to be expensive
  • 식당 → restaurant
  • 많다 → to be many/much
  • 주말 → weekend
  • 실패하다 → to fail
  • 계획 → plan
  • 힘들다 → to be hard/tiring
  • 혼자 → alone
  • 거짓말 → lie
Tip 💡 Strong prediction: if the outcome feels obvious, use -(으)ㄹ 게 뻔하다.
🚀
Want more reps? The Practice Hub below gives you a full strong-conjecture workout. 🔮
 
📦
🎯 Practice Hub — Strong Conjecture: -(으)ㄹ 게 뻔하다
 
Welcome to the obvious-outcome lab. 🔮 You’ll practice predicting results that feel clear from the evidence: lateness, crowds, failure, high prices, bad reactions, and other very predictable outcomes.
 
🔊 Audio reminder: Use
Korean Helper Widgets
Korean Helper Widgets whenever you want to hear a sentence aloud.
 

Exercise 1 — Form Builder 🔧

A. 가다 → ＿＿＿＿ 뻔하다
Answer
갈 게 → 갈 게 뻔하다.
B. 비싸다 → ＿＿＿＿ 뻔하다
Answer
비쌀 게.
C. 먹다 → ＿＿＿＿ 뻔하다
Answer
먹을 게.
D. 늦다 → ＿＿＿＿ 뻔하다
Answer
늦을 게.
E. 많다 → ＿＿＿＿ 뻔하다
Answer
많을 게.
F. 힘들다 → ＿＿＿＿ 뻔하다
Answer
힘들 게.
G. 하다 → ＿＿＿＿ 뻔하다
Answer
할 게.
H. 듣다 → ＿＿＿＿ 뻔하다
Answer
들을 게.
I. 어렵다 → ＿＿＿＿ 뻔하다
Answer
어려울 게.
J. 학생 → ＿＿＿＿ 뻔하다
Answer
학생일 게.
📚
Form Box
  • Vowel stem → ㄹ 게 뻔하다
  • Consonant stem → 을 게 뻔하다
  • ㄹ stem → keep ㄹ + 게 뻔하다
  • Noun → 일 게 뻔하다
 

Exercise 2 — Predictable Outcomes 📌

A. 비가 오다 → 우산이 없으면 옷이 ＿＿＿＿.
Answer
젖을 게 뻔해요. — If you have no umbrella, it’s obvious your clothes will get wet.
B. 예약을 안 하다 → 주말에는 오래 ＿＿＿＿.
Answer
기다릴 게 뻔해요.
C. 늦게 출발하다 → ＿＿＿＿.
Answer
늦을 게 뻔해요.
D. 공부를 안 하다 → 시험이 ＿＿＿＿.
Answer
어려울 게 뻔해요.
E. 인기 있는 식당 → 사람이 ＿＿＿＿.
Answer
많을 게 뻔해요.
F. 급하게 하다 → 실수＿＿＿＿.
Answer
실수할 게 뻔해요.
G. 계획 없이 시작하다 → 실패＿＿＿＿.
Answer
실패할 게 뻔해요.
H. 밤새우다 → 내일 ＿＿＿＿.
Answer
피곤할 게 뻔해요.
I. 그렇게 말하다 → 상대방이 ＿＿＿＿.
Answer
기분 나쁠 게 뻔해요.
J. 비싼 동네 → 집값이 ＿＿＿＿.
Answer
비쌀 게 뻔해요.
📚
Vocabulary Box
  • 젖다 → to get wet
  • 예약하다 → to reserve
  • 출발하다 → to depart
  • 인기 있다 → to be popular
  • 급하게 → hurriedly
  • 밤새우다 → to stay up all night
  • 상대방 → the other person
  • 집값 → housing price
 

Exercise 3 — Strong, Soft, or Almost? 🔍

A. “It’s obvious they’ll be late.”
① 늦을 게 뻔해요. / ② 늦을 것 같아요.
Answer
① — strong obvious prediction.
B. “I think they’ll be late.”
① 늦을 게 뻔해요. / ② 늦을 것 같아요.
Answer
② — softer guess.
C. “I almost was late.”
① 늦을 뻔했어요. / ② 늦을 게 뻔해요.
Answer
① — almost happened, but didn’t.
D. “It’s obvious it will be expensive.”
① 비쌀 게 뻔해요. / ② 비쌀지도 몰라요.
Answer
① — obvious outcome.
E. “It might be expensive.”
① 비쌀 게 뻔해요. / ② 비쌀지도 몰라요.
Answer
② — weak/maybe conjecture.
🧠
Decision Box
  • 할 게 뻔하다 → obvious / bound to
  • 할 것 같다 → I think / probably
  • 할지도 모르다 → might / maybe
  • 할 뻔하다 → almost did
 

Exercise 4 — Rewrite with Strong Conjecture 🔮

A. 분명히 늦을 거예요. → ＿＿＿＿.
Answer
늦을 게 뻔해요.
B. 분명히 비쌀 거예요. → ＿＿＿＿.
Answer
비쌀 게 뻔해요.
C. 분명히 사람이 많을 거예요. → ＿＿＿＿.
Answer
사람이 많을 게 뻔해요.
D. 분명히 실패할 거예요. → ＿＿＿＿.
Answer
실패할 게 뻔해요.
E. 분명히 후회할 거예요. → ＿＿＿＿.
Answer
후회할 게 뻔해요.
📌
Tone note
-(으)ㄹ 게 뻔하다 can sound stronger, more critical, or more pessimistic than 분명히 -(으)ㄹ 거예요.
 

Exercise 5 — Mixed Mastery + Pitfall Patrol 🛡️

A. ❌ 늦을 뻔해요 for “It’s obvious they’ll be late” → ✅ ＿＿＿＿
Answer
늦을 게 뻔해요.
B. ❌ 먹ㄹ 게 뻔해요 → ✅ ＿＿＿＿
Answer
먹을 게 뻔해요.
C. ❌ 만들을 게 뻔해요 → ✅ ＿＿＿＿
Answer
만들 게 뻔해요.
D. ❌ 학생 게 뻔해요 → ✅ ＿＿＿＿
Answer
학생일 게 뻔해요.
E. 사람이 많을 게 뻔해요. means:
Answer
It’s obvious there will be many people.
F. 늦을 뻔했어요. means:
Answer
I almost was late.
G. Choose the strong conjecture: ① 비쌀 게 뻔해요 / ② 비쌀지도 몰라요
Answer
① 비쌀 게 뻔해요.
H. Choose the weak conjecture: ① 어려울 게 뻔해요 / ② 어려울지도 몰라요
Answer
② 어려울지도 몰라요.
I. Choose the natural noun form: ① 문제일 게 뻔해요 / ② 문제 게 뻔해요
Answer
① 문제일 게 뻔해요.
J. -(으)ㄹ 게 뻔하다 is strongest when:
Answer
The outcome is obvious, predictable, or bound to happen based on the situation.
📚
Final Check
  • Vowel: 갈 게 뻔하다, 비쌀 게 뻔하다
  • Consonant: 늦을 게 뻔하다, 많을 게 뻔하다
  • ㄹ stem: 힘들 게 뻔하다, 멀 게 뻔하다
  • Noun: 문제일 게 뻔하다
Tip 💡 Do not confuse 게 뻔하다 with 뻔하다 alone in -(으)ㄹ 뻔하다.
 
🎉 Strong-conjecture grammar mastered! With -(으)ㄹ 게 뻔하다, you can say when an outcome is painfully obvious: 늦을 게 뻔해요, 비쌀 게 뻔해요, 실패할 게 뻔해요. 🔮✨