Almost

This pattern expresses that an event or action almost happened, but ultimately did not. It's used to describe a "close call" and often implies a sense of relief.

Meaning & Usage

Meaning: "Almost did [verb]" or "came close to [verb-ing]."

When to use: Use it to talk about near-misses, whether they are negative (like almost getting into an accident) or positive (like almost missing a great opportunity).

Formation

This pattern always attaches to a verb stem and is always used in the past tense.

Verb stems ending in a vowel or ㄹ: Add -ㄹ 뻔했다.

가다 (to go) → 갈 뻔했다

울다 (to cry) → 울 뻔했다

Verb stems ending in a consonant (except ㄹ): Add -을 뻔했다.

늦다 (to be late) → 늦을 뻔했다

먹다 (to eat) → 먹을 뻔했다

늦을 뻔했어. / 속을 뻔했어. / 울 뻔했어. / 넘어질 뻔했어.

This pattern is more than just a statement of fact; it's packed with emotion, usually relief.

The Feeling of a Close Call

-(으)ㄹ 뻔했다 emphasizes the feeling of narrowly avoiding a negative outcome. To heighten this feeling, Koreans often add adverbs like 하마터면 (almost, nearly) or 자칫하면 (if things had gone wrong) at the beginning of the sentence.

하마터면 늦을 뻔했어요. (I was so close to being late.)

Hyperbole (Exaggeration)

This pattern is frequently used for dramatic effect or exaggeration. When someone says 죽을 뻔했어 (I almost died), they likely didn't face a life-threatening situation. They might just be expressing that they were extremely scared, tired, or overworked.

심장마비 올 뻔했어. (I almost had a heart attack.) - Used when very surprised or shocked.

포기할 뻔했어. (I almost gave up.) - Used to emphasize how difficult something was.

죽을 뻔했어. / 심장마비 올 뻔했어요. / 하마터면 까먹을 뻔했어. / 포기할 뻔했어요.

You can easily adjust the politeness level of this pattern by changing the ending of 했다.

Casual Form: -ㄹ/을 뻔했어

This is the 반말 (casual) form. Use it with close friends, family, or people younger than you. It creates a friendly, informal tone.

큰일 날 뻔했어. (I was almost in big trouble.)

늦잠 잘 뻔했어. (I almost overslept.)

Polite Form: -ㄹ/을 뻔했어요

This is the standard 해요체 (polite) form. Add -요 to the end for conversations with colleagues, acquaintances, or people older than you. It's the most common polite form for daily situations.

큰일 날 뻔했어요. (I was almost in big trouble.)

늦잠 잘 뻔했어요. (I almost overslept.)

속을 뻔했어. / 속을 뻔했어요. / 놓칠 뻔했어. / 놓칠 뻔했어요.