-(으)ㄹ 뻔하다 in Korean: “almost (did), nearly”

-(으)ㄹ 뻔하다 (-(eu)l ppeonhada) means "almost" or "nearly" did something, but it didn't actually happen. 넘어질 뻔했어요 means "I almost fell". It is almost always used in the past tense, 뻔했어요.

How to form it

How to use it

Use it for near-misses: almost missing the bus, almost dropping your phone, almost crying. The thing did NOT happen, and usually you are relieved.

It often comes with 하마터면 ("nearly, by a hair") or 거의 ("almost") for emphasis: 하마터면 큰일 날 뻔했어요 ("that was a close call").

It is also used to exaggerate: 웃겨서 죽을 뻔했어 ("it was so funny I almost died"). Say 뻔했어요 politely and 뻔했어 to friends.

Examples

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Don’t mix it up with

거의 -았/었어요: 거의 다 했어요 means "I've almost finished" (most of it is done). -(으)ㄹ 뻔했다 means something nearly happened but didn't happen at all.

-고 말다: -고 말다 means it actually happened in the end, often sadly (넘어지고 말았어요, "I ended up falling"). -(으)ㄹ 뻔했다 means it didn't.

Common mistakes

Using the present tense 뻔해요 for something that almost happened. Use the past: 뻔했어요.

Using it when the thing really happened. If you did fall, say 넘어졌어요, not 넘어질 뻔했어요.