haru Korean › Grammar › Level 4B › V-(으)려다(가)
V-(으)려다(가) — was about to … but — a plan that changes halfway
Was about to … but — a plan that changes halfway. Korean grammar for upper intermediate learners — Level 4B, lesson 1: 소중한 환경 (Our precious environment — changing plans and formal reasons).
What it means
V-(으)려다(가) says you were about to do something and then changed course: 버스를 타려다가 걸어갔어요 'I was going to take the bus, but I walked instead'. It is -(으)려고 하다 'to intend to' (Lesson 1B-3) joined to -다가 (Lesson 2A-7), and the 가 can be dropped: 가려다 말았어요. After a 받침 use -으려다가 (먹으려다가; 걷다 → 걸으려다가), after a vowel or ㄹ use -려다가 (사려다가, 만들려다가). The second half is either what you did instead or 말다 'to drop it': 사려다가 말았어요 'I almost bought it, but didn't'. The reason for the change usually sits in the middle — 가려다가 미세먼지 때문에 집에 있었어요. Compare it with plain -다가: 밥을 먹다가 나갔어요 means you were eating when you went out, while 밥을 먹으려다가 나갔어요 means you went out before you had started. Both halves normally have the same subject. -았/었- cannot go in front of -(으)려다가; the tense of the whole sentence goes at the end: 가려다가 말았어요 · 내일 가려다가 모레 가기로 했어요.
Forms
| Pattern | When | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -으려다가 | 받침 O | 먹다 + 으려다가 → 먹으려다가 |
| -려다가 | 받침 X · ㄹ 받침 | 버리다 + 려다가 → 버리려다가 |
Key points
- -(으)려다(가) = was going to … but (then something else): it is -(으)려고 하다 (Lesson 1B-3) + -다가 (Lesson 2A-7). 받침 O → -으려다가 (먹으려다가) · 받침 X or ㄹ → -려다가 (버리려다가 · 만들려다가). 가 can be dropped: 가려다 말았어요.
- After it comes what you did instead, or 말다 (you dropped it): 사려다가 말았어요. -다가 = you had started; -(으)려다가 = you had only meant to. -았/었- never goes before it — the tense goes at the end.
Examples
- 하려고 한 일을 하기 전에 계획이 바뀌어서 다른 일을 할 때 써요: 버스를 타려다가 걸어갔어요.
- -(으)려고 하다(1B 3과)와 -다가(2A 7과)가 합쳐진 말이에요. 「가」를 빼고 -(으)려다라고도 해요.
- 받침 O → -으려다가: 먹으려다가 · 받침 X · ㄹ 받침 → -려다가: 사려다가 · 만들려다가
- 결국 안 했으면 「-(으)려다가 말았어요」: 새 가방을 사려다가 말았어요.
- 「먹다가」는 먹는 중에, 「먹으려다가」는 먹기 전에 계획이 바뀐 거예요.
- -았/었-은 앞에 못 와요. 시제는 끝에: 가려다가 말았어요 · 내일 가려다가 모레 가기로 했어요.
Where university textbooks teach it
This point also appears in: Seoul National University Korean 4B, lesson 12; Ewha Womans University Korean 3-2, lesson 15; Hongik University Korean 3B, lesson 11; Hanyang University Korean 3-2, lesson 8.
Also in this lesson
- N마저 — even (the last thing) — one more piece of bad luck
- N(으)로써 — by means of · through — how something is done, in formal Korean
- A/V-기에 · -기에는 — as · since (in writing) — and 'for doing …, it's too …'