TOPIK II · LEVEL 3
-(으)려다가
-(으)려다가 means 'was about to / intended to do A, but (changed and) did B instead'.
목적·의도Purpose, plans & wishesHan: Weather can't intend; -(으)려다가 needs a person's plan.
Examples
그 옷을 사려다가 너무 비싸서 포기했어요.I was going to buy those clothes but gave up because they were too expensive.
택시를 타려다가 버스가 와서 버스를 탔어요.I was about to take a taxi, but a bus came, so I took the bus.
전화하려다가 늦어서 문자를 보냈어요.I was going to call, but it was late, so I sent a text.
Don’t mix up
-(으)려다가vs-(으)려고-(으)려고 states a purpose ('in order to'); -(으)려다가 says the intention was abandoned.How to build it
V+(으)려다가 (short for -(으)려고 하다가)
사다 → 사려다가, 먹다 → 먹으려다가
- Only verbs; the plan in A is dropped or changed.
- Same subject in both clauses.
Classic mistake
Wrong: 날씨가 좋으려다가 비가 왔어요.
Right: 날씨가 좋다가 비가 왔어요.
Weather can't intend; -(으)려다가 needs a person's plan.
Practise -(으)려다가 on real TOPIK questions
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All TOPIK grammar- -(으)ㄹ 겸-(으)ㄹ 겸 gives one of two or more purposes for a single action: 'partly to …, and also to …'.
- -(으)ㄹ 생각이다-(으)ㄹ 생각이다 states a plan or intention you've thought about: 'I plan to / I'm going to'.
- -(으)ㄹ 예정이다-(으)ㄹ 예정이다 says something is scheduled or planned to happen: 'be scheduled to'.
- -(으)ㄹ까 하다-(으)ㄹ까 하다 means 'I'm thinking of doing …' — a loose, not yet fixed plan.
- -(으)ㄹ까 말까 하다-(으)ㄹ까 말까 하다 means 'I can't decide whether to do it or not'.
- -도록-도록 links an action to the result or limit it aims at: "so that (something happens)" or "until / to the point that".
- -(으)ㅁ-(으)ㅁ turns a verb or adjective into a noun; it is used in notes, notices, memos and written records.
- -(으)며-(으)며 is a formal, written 'and' (listing) or 'while' (two actions at once).
- -(이)야-(이)야 emphasizes a topic as obvious or as the only one meant: 'as for N, of course …'.