TOPIK II · LEVEL 4
-(느)ㄴ다는 것이
Use it when you meant to do one thing but by mistake ended up doing something else.
인용·전달Quoting & reportingHan: The intended action does not take past tense in this pattern; use 넣는다는 and mark the past only on the final verb.
Examples
소금을 넣는다는 것이 설탕을 넣고 말았어요.I meant to add salt but ended up adding sugar.
친구한테 문자를 보낸다는 게 엄마한테 보내 버렸어요.I meant to text my friend, but I sent it to my mom.
아빠한테 전화한다는 게 형한테 전화했어요.I meant to call my dad, but I called my older brother.
2호선을 탄다는 게 3호선을 탔어요.I meant to take Line 2 but got on Line 3.
Don’t mix up
-(느)ㄴ다는 것이vs-(으)려다가-(으)려다가 also covers deliberately changing your plan; -(느)ㄴ다는 것이 is only for a mistake: 버스를 타려다가 걸어갔어요 (you chose to walk).-(느)ㄴ다는 것이vs-(으)려고 했는데-(으)려고 했는데 just says the plan didn't work out, without implying you did something else by mistake: 일찍 자려고 했는데 못 잤어요.
How to build it
V+는다는 것이 (after a consonant)
V+ㄴ다는 것이 (after a vowel or ㄹ, ㄹ drops)
spoken: -(느)ㄴ다는 게
넣다 → 넣는다는 것이, 보내다 → 보낸다는 것이, 만들다 → 만든다는 것이
- Attach it to action verbs. The intended action stays in this present form (넣는다는, not 넣었다는); tense goes only on the final verb.
- The second clause reports a mistake that already happened (-았/었어요, often with -아/어 버리다 or -고 말다). It cannot end with a command, suggestion or future plan.
- Both clauses share the same subject, most often the speaker describing their own slip.
- In everyday speech 것이 is usually shortened to 게: 보낸다는 게.
Classic mistake
Wrong: 소금을 넣었다는 것이 설탕을 넣었어요.
Right: 소금을 넣는다는 것이 설탕을 넣었어요.
The intended action does not take past tense in this pattern; use 넣는다는 and mark the past only on the final verb.
Practise -(느)ㄴ다는 것이 on real TOPIK questions
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All TOPIK grammar- -(으)ㄴ/는 양Describes someone acting or looking as if something were true when it really isn't: 'as if / pretending that'.
- -(느)ㄴ다니 (전달 의문)A casual plain-style question asking what a third person said: short for -다고 하니?, as in 언제 온다니? 'When does he say he's coming?'
- -노라고-노라고 (usually followed by 했는데 or 했지만) means "I really did try to do it," often said modestly when the result was not as good as hoped.
- -답시고-답시고 sarcastically repeats someone's claimed reason or purpose ("supposedly to…"), hinting that the action was pointless, clumsy or made things worse.
- -(느)ㄴ다는 + N-(느)ㄴ다는 + N gives the content of news, rumours, ideas or claims: 'the news that …'.
- -(으)나-(으)나 is a formal written 'but / however', linking two contrasting clauses.
- -(으)되-(으)되 states or allows a first action and then adds a condition or limit to it, in a formal or written style.
- -(이)면 (조사)Attaches to a noun to mean 'if it is N / whenever it is N'; repeated as N(이)면 N, it means 'in every field, whatever you name'.
- -(으)ㄹ 게 아니라Use it to say that doing X is not the right move, so you should do Y instead: "rather than doing X, do Y."
