Korean Lessons ᚛ Level 9 - Advanced Korean #2 (Lessons 241 to 270) ᚛ Lesson 252 - It's bound to happen in Korean [-(으)ㄹ 게 뻔하다]

It's bound to happen in Korean [-(으)ㄹ 게 뻔하다]

In this course: ㄹ 게 뻔하다 / 을 게 뻔하다 / ㄹ 것이 뻔하다 / 을 것이 뻔하다 / 뻔하다 / evidence

The adjective 뻔하다 means "obvious", "transparent": 뻔한 거짓말, a blatant lie. Preceded by the nominalised future -(으)ㄹ 것이, contracted in speech to -(으)ㄹ 게, it gives -(으)ㄹ 게 뻔하다, "it is obvious that… will", "it is bound to", "you can bet that". The speaker predicts an outcome they consider certain, most often an unwelcome one, based on what they know of the situation or the person. Not to be confused with -(으)ㄹ 뻔했다, "almost", which is built without 게: 넘어질 뻔했다, "I almost fell", 넘어질 게 뻔하다, "he is bound to fall".

A certain prediction with -(으)ㄹ 게 뻔하다

[Verb / adjective]-(으)ㄹ 게 뻔하다 / [Verb / adjective]-(으)ㄹ 것이 뻔하다

The form goes at the end of the sentence: -(으)ㄹ 게 뻔해요 in the polite present, -(으)ㄹ 게 뻔해 between close friends, -(으)ㄹ 게 뻔하네요 for an observation, -(으)ㄹ 게 뻔한데 to carry on. The uncontracted version -(으)ㄹ 것이 뻔하다 belongs to writing. The main verb stays in the present; it is 뻔하다 that carries the tense: -(으)ㄹ 게 뻔했다, "it was obvious that… would". The reason for the prediction is often given just before, with -는 걸 보니, "seeing that", or -아/어서. The meaning is close to 보나 마나, "no need to check", and to -(으)ㄹ 것이 분명하다, "it is certain that", but 뻔하다 adds a touch of irony or resignation: "we have seen it all before".

민지는 오늘도 수업에 지각할 게 뻔해. 어제도 클럽에 갔다가 새벽에 집에 들어갔다던데?
→ Minji is bound to be late for class again today. I heard she went clubbing again yesterday and got home at dawn.

인사팀에서는 최 상무님 대학교 후배인 김 차장님이 승진할 게 뻔해요.
→ In HR, it is deputy manager Kim, who was at university with director Choi, who is bound to get the promotion.

오늘 날씨를 보니 제주도행 비행기가 결항될 게 뻔하네요.
→ Looking at today's weather, the flight to Jeju is obviously going to be cancelled.

우리 집 앞에 있는 식당은 식사 시간에도 손님이 없는 걸 보면 맛이 없을 게 뻔해요.
→ Seeing that there is nobody there even at mealtimes, the restaurant in front of my place is obviously no good.

The warning: -다가는 … -(으)ㄹ 게 뻔하다

In writing and in the past: -(으)ㄹ 것이 뻔했다

Exercises

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