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Grammar / Level 3 / Lesson 95

(으)려다가 and (으)려던 참이다: about to, and then

By Daniel Buckley · 11 minute read · TOPIK 4

Vocabulary

  1. 문자 - text message
  2. 참다 - to hold back, to put up with
  3. 넘어지다 - to fall over
  4. 다치다 - to get hurt
  5. 떨어뜨리다 - to drop
  6. 팔리다 - to be sold
  7. 예약하다 - to book
  8. 마침 - just then, as it happens
  9. 막 - just, right now
  10. 안 그래도 - as it happens, I was already going to

Your phone rings, and it's the friend you were just about to call. English has a ready line for that, and so does Korean: 안 그래도 전화하려던 참이었어요.

It's built from something you know. (으)려고 하다 says you mean to do something, and the forms here are what's left when 고 하 wears away: (으)려다가, (으)려던 and (으)려는.

(으)려다가: meant to, and then

(으)려다가 is (으)려고 하다가 with the middle gone, so it joins an intention to 다가, the ending that switches partway through. You were going to do something, and the sentence switches to what happened. English usually needs "was going to, but".

Making (으)려다가

  • Stem ends in a vowel or ㄹ: add 려다가.가다 → 가려다가만들다 → 만들려다가
  • Stem ends in any other consonant: add 으려다가.먹다 → 먹으려다가듣다 → 들으려다가
  • In speech: the 가 of 다가 often drops.가려다먹으려다

Pick a verb

가다가가려다가

  1. 택시를 타려다가 버스를 탔어요.

    I was going to take a taxi, but I got the bus.

  2. 전화를 하려다가 그냥 문자를 보냈어요.

    I was going to call, but I just sent a text.

  3. 친구한테 말하려다가 참았어요.

    I was going to tell my friend, but I held back.

  4. 옷을 사려다가 너무 비싸서 안 샀어요.

    I was going to buy the clothes, but they were too expensive.

  5. 집에 가려다가 친구를 만나서 같이 저녁을 먹었어요.

    I was about to go home, but I met a friend and we had dinner.

The first clause takes no 았/었, even in a sentence about yesterday. The tense goes at the end. Both clauses usually share a subject, because it's one person's plan that changes. When the next thing that happens isn't yours, like rain starting, (으)려던 참에 from later in this lesson is the safer choice.

Sometimes the plan doesn't change on purpose. You were in the middle of trying, and something went wrong. It's the same form, and the second clause tells you which one you're reading.

  1. 버스를 타려다가 넘어졌어요.

    I fell over trying to get on the bus.

  2. 사진을 찍으려다가 휴대폰을 떨어뜨렸어요.

    I dropped my phone trying to take a photo.

  3. 문을 닫으려다가 손을 다쳤어요.

    I hurt my hand trying to shut the door.

  1. 커피를 마시려다가 물을 마셨어요.

  2. 계단을 내려가려다가 넘어졌어요.

  3. 버스를 타려다가 걸어서 왔어요.

  4. 고기를 자르려다가 손을 다쳤어요.

  5. 쇼핑하려다가 그냥 집에 왔어요.

  6. 컵을 씻으려다가 떨어뜨렸어요.

(으)려다가 말다: starting and stopping

Finish on 말다 and the plan is dropped with nothing put in its place. This is the 말다 behind 지 마세요, to stop doing. The short form with (으)려다 is very common here.

  1. 무슨 말을 하려다가 말았어요.

    I started to say something and stopped.

  2. 전화를 하려다 말았어요.

    I almost called, but didn't.

  3. 먹으려다 말았어요.

    I was going to eat it, then didn't.

(으)려던 and (으)려는: before a noun

(으)려던 is (으)려고 하던, with the 던 you've met for things left unfinished. It goes before a noun and names what you had in mind. Usually that thing didn't happen, or hasn't yet.

  1. 아까 하려던 말이 뭐예요?

    What were you going to say earlier?

  2. 제가 사려던 책이 벌써 다 팔렸어요.

    The book I was going to buy has already sold out.

  3. 오늘 가려던 식당이 문을 닫았어요.

    The restaurant we were going to go to today is closed.

  4. 보려던 영화를 결국 못 봤어요.

    I never did see the film I was going to see.

(으)려는 is the present version, from (으)려고 하는. Someone wants or intends this now.

  1. 한국어를 배우려는 사람이 많아졌어요.

    More people want to learn Korean now.

  2. 제 말을 들으려는 사람이 없어요.

    Nobody wants to listen to me.

  3. 새로운 일을 시작하려는 분들에게 이 책을 추천해요.

    I recommend this book to anyone looking to start something new.

(으)려던 참이다: I was just about to

참 here is a noun for the point when something is about to happen, unrelated to the 참 that means "really". So (으)려던 참이에요 puts you right on that point. It usually comes when someone has just mentioned the very thing you were about to do.

Making (으)려던 참이다

  • Stem ends in a vowel or ㄹ: 려던 참이에요.가다 → 가려던 참이에요만들다 → 만들려던 참이에요
  • Stem ends in any other consonant: 으려던 참이에요.먹다 → 먹으려던 참이에요
  • Looking back: 참이었어요.전화하려던 참이었어요

Pick a verb

가다가가려던 참이에요

  1. 안 그래도 지금 전화하려던 참이었어요.

    I was just about to call you, as it happens.

  2. 마침 밥을 먹으려던 참이에요. 같이 먹어요.

    Good timing, I was just about to eat. Join me.

  3. 안 그래도 물어보려던 참이었어요.

    I was just about to ask you that.

  4. 저도 나가려던 참이에요.

    I was just about to head out too.

안 그래도 and 마침 go with this pattern so often that you can almost treat them as part of it. Both 참이에요 and 참이었어요 are common, and the difference between them is small enough that I wouldn't worry about it.

Add 에 and the moment becomes the background for something else: just as you were about to, this happened.

  1. 나가려던 참에 비가 오기 시작했어요.

    Just as I was about to go out, it started to rain.

  2. 밥을 먹으려던 참에 친구가 왔어요.

    Just as I was about to eat, a friend came over.

  3. 자려던 참에 전화가 왔어요.

    Just as I was about to go to bed, the phone rang.

(으)려는 참이다: I'm about to

(으)려는 참이에요 says what you're on the point of doing right now. Textbooks teach (으)려던 참 far more often, and it's the one I'd learn to say. To me 려던 참 feels like a plan someone has just walked in on, and 려는 참 like plain information, but the difference is slight.

  1. 지금 자려는 참이에요.

    I'm just about to go to bed.

  2. 막 회의를 시작하려는 참이에요.

    We're just about to start the meeting.

  3. 막 나가려는 참인데, 왜요?

    I'm just about to head out. Why?

  1. 버스를 ___ 택시를 탔어요.

    I was going to take the bus, but I took a taxi.

  2. 아까 ___ 말이 뭐예요?

    What were you going to say earlier?

  3. 안 그래도 지금 ___.

    I was just about to call you, as it happens.

  4. 제가 ___ 책이 다 팔렸어요.

    The book I was going to buy has sold out.

Listen and type

1 / 3

Play it as often as you like.

In a conversation

A

여보세요, 지은 씨, 지금 통화할 수 있어요?

Hello, Jieun, now can talk on phone?

B

네, 안 그래도 전화하려던 참이었어요.

Yes, as it happens was just about to phone.

A

정말요? 무슨 일이에요?

Really? What matter is?

B

오늘 저녁에 가려던 식당이 문을 닫았대요.

This evening were going to go restaurant closed, they say.

A

아, 제가 어제 예약하려다가 깜빡했어요.

Ah, I yesterday was going to book, but forgot.

B

그럼 우리 집 근처 식당으로 할까요?

Then our home nearby restaurant shall choose?

A

좋아요. 저 지금 막 나가려는 참이에요.

Good. I now just am about to go out.

Common mistakes

  1. 어제 먹었으려다가 안 먹었어요.

    어제 먹으려다가 안 먹었어요.

    No 았/었 before (으)려다가. The tense goes at the end.

  2. 집에 갈려다가 친구를 만났어요.

    집에 가려다가 친구를 만났어요.

    가 ends in a vowel, so add 려다가 with no extra ㄹ. You'll hear 갈려고 in speech, but it's not the correct spelling.

  3. 아까 하려다가 말이 뭐예요?

    아까 하려던 말이 뭐예요?

    (으)려다가 joins two clauses. Before a noun you need (으)려던.

Check yourself

Quick check

1 / 6

택시를 ___ 버스를 탔어요. (타다, use (으)려다가) I was going to take a taxi, but I got the bus.

타 ends in a vowel.

Summary

(으)려다가 forms
DictionaryStem(으)려다가
가다가가려다가
먹다먹먹으려다가
듣다듣들으려다가
만들다만들만들려다가
(으)려던 참이에요 forms
DictionaryStem(으)려던 참이에요
가다가가려던 참이에요
먹다먹먹으려던 참이에요
듣다듣들으려던 참이에요
만들다만들만들려던 참이에요

The plan, form by form

  • (으)려다가: you meant to, and then something else happened.
  • (으)려다가 말다: you meant to, and then you dropped it.
  • (으)려던 + noun: the thing you had in mind.
  • (으)려는 + noun: the thing someone wants to do now.
  • (으)려던 참이다: you were just about to. With 에, it's the moment something else happened.
  • (으)려는 참이다: you're just about to.

Now you can say

  1. 안 그래도 전화하려던 참이었어요.

    I was just about to call you, as it happens.

  2. 아까 하려던 말이 뭐예요?

    What were you going to say earlier?

  3. 전화를 하려다 말았어요.

    I almost called, but didn't.

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