Korean · Intermediate (B1) · Chapter 11 of 12
Travel stories
여행 이야기Yeohaeng iyagi
Tell a travel story in Korean: bad luck (-는 바람에), near misses (-(으)ㄹ 뻔했다), what you saw (-더라고), “if I had known…” and reactions of surprise.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Explain what went wrong with -는 바람에
- Say what nearly happened with -(으)ㄹ 뻔했다
- Tell what you saw and felt yourself with -더라 / -더라고(요)
- Imagine a different past with -았/었으면 … -았/었을 거야, and react with surprise
Listen
Back in Seoul, Oh Jiwon tells her friend Kang Minsu about her trip to Ulleungdo, where a typhoon cancelled the ferry home. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Minsu
지원아, 울릉도 여행은 어땠어?
Jiwona, Ulleungdo yeohaengeun eottaesseo?
Jiwon, how was your trip to Ulleungdo?
Jiwon
말도 마. 처음부터 문제였어. 늦잠을 자는 바람에 포항에서 배를 놓칠 뻔했어.
Maldo ma. Cheoeumbuteo munjeyeosseo. Neutjameul janeun barame Pohangeseo baereul notchil ppeonhaesseo.
Don't ask. It was trouble from the start. I overslept, so I almost missed the boat in Pohang.
Minsu
진짜? 그래서 탔어?
Jinjja? Geuraeseo tasseo?
Really? So did you make it?
Jiwon
응, 짐을 들고 뛰어서 겨우 탔어. 그런데 배에서 계속 멀미를 했어.
Eung, jimeul deulgo ttwieoseo gyeou tasseo. Geureonde baeeseo gyesok meolmireul haesseo.
Yes, I ran with my bags and only just made it. But then I was seasick the whole way.
Minsu
어떡해. 그래도 울릉도는 좋았어?
Eotteokae. Geuraedo Ulleungdoneun joasseo?
Oh no. But did you like Ulleungdo?
Jiwon
응, 경치가 진짜 대단하더라. 바다가 정말 파랗더라고.
Eung, gyeongchiga jinjja daedanhadeora. Badaga jeongmal parateorago.
Yes, the scenery was amazing. The sea was so blue.
Minsu
좋았겠다. 그럼 언제 돌아왔어?
Joatgetda. Geureom eonje dorawasseo?
That must have been great. So when did you get back?
Jiwon
그게 문제였어. 돌아오는 날 태풍 때문에 배가 결항됐어. 섬에 이틀이나 더 있었어.
Geuge munjeyeosseo. Doraoneun nal taepung ttaemune baega gyeolhangdwaesseo. Seome iteurina deo isseosseo.
That was the problem. On the day I was coming back, the ferry was cancelled because of a typhoon. I was stuck on the island for two more days.
Minsu
말도 안 돼. 회사는 어떻게 했어?
Maldo an dwae. Hoesaneun eotteoke haesseo?
No way. What did you do about work?
Jiwon
팀장님께 전화해서 이틀 휴가를 냈어. 다행히 괜찮다고 하셨어.
Timjangnimkke jeonhwahaeseo iteul hyugareul naesseo. Dahaenghi gwaenchantago hasyeosseo.
I called my team leader and took two days off. Luckily she said it was fine.
Minsu
다행이다. 일기 예보를 미리 봤으면 안 갔을 거야?
Dahaengida. Ilgi yeboreul miri bwasseumyeon an gasseul geoya?
What a relief. If you'd checked the weather forecast beforehand, would you not have gone?
Jiwon
아니, 그래도 갔을 거야. 힘들었지만 정말 좋은 여행이었어.
Ani, geuraedo gasseul geoya. Himdeureotjiman jeongmal joeun yeohaengieosseo.
No, I'd still have gone. It was tough, but it was a really good trip.
Understand
Bad luck and near misses: -는 바람에, -(으)ㄹ 뻔했다
-는 바람에 gives a cause that led to an unexpected, usually bad result: (neutjameul janeun barame baereul notchyeosseo), I overslept and (so) missed the boat. The verb before it always takes -는, even for the past, and the result at the end is in the past. It can't come before an order or a suggestion.
-(으)ㄹ 뻔했다 means something almost happened, but in the end it didn't: (baereul notchil ppeonhaesseo), I almost missed the boat. Koreans also use it to exaggerate: (baegopaseo jugeul ppeonhaesseo), I nearly died of hunger.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| (Giri makineun barame neujeosseoyo.) | I was late because the traffic was bad. |
| (Hyudaeponi gojang naneun barame yeollageul mot haesseoyo.) | My phone broke, so I couldn't get in touch. |
| (Bihaenggireul notchil ppeonhaesseoyo.) | I almost missed the plane. |
| (Yeogwoneul ireobeoril ppeonhaesseoyo.) | I nearly lost my passport. |
What I saw: -더라, -더라고(요)
-더라 (to a friend) and -더라고요 (polite) pass on something you saw or experienced yourself in the past, as a fresh impression: (gyeongchiga daedanhadeora), the scenery was amazing (I saw it); (badaga jeongmal parateorago), the sea was really blue. It brings the listener into the moment, a bit like “I tell you, …”.
It's used for what you noticed about other people and things, not for your own actions. Compare it with chapter 3: (biga ondaeyo), I heard it's raining; (biga odeoragoyo), I saw that it was raining.
- 울릉도 사람들이 정말 친절하더라고요.Ulleungdo saramdeuri jeongmal chinjeolhadeoragoyo.The people on Ulleungdo were really friendly (I found).
- 그 식당 음식이 생각보다 맛있더라.Geu sikdang eumsigi saenggakboda masitdeora.The food at that restaurant was better than I expected.
- 민수가 벌써 와 있더라고.Minsuga beolsseo wa itdeorago.Minsu was already there (when I arrived).
If I had known…, and reacting to a story
To imagine a different past, put both halves in the past: -았 / -었으면 (if … had) and -았 / -었을 거예요 (would have): (arasseumyeon an gasseul geoya), if I'd known, I wouldn't have gone. The second half alone works too: (geuraedo gasseul geoya), I'd still have gone.
When a friend tells you a story, these short reactions keep it going:
| Reaction | Meaning |
|---|---|
| (Jinjja?) | Really? |
| (Maldo an dwae.) | No way. That's crazy. |
| (Eotteokae.) | Oh no. What a pity. (literally “what do you do?”) |
| (Dahaengida.) | What a relief. |
| (Joatgetda.) | That must have been great. |
| (Daedanhada.) | Amazing. Impressive. |
More in the grammar: If sentences: -(으)면, -(으)려면, -다면, -았/었더라면 · Reasons: -아서/-어서, -(으)니까, -기 때문에 · Nuanced endings: -네요, -잖아요, -거든요 and more
New words
- 늦잠neutjamoversleeping, a lie-in · (neutjameul jada), to oversleep, to sleep in
- 배baeboat, ship, ferry · (baereul tada), to take the boat. (bae) is also “stomach” and “pear”.
- 놓치다notchidato miss (a bus, a boat, a chance) · (bihaenggireul notchyeosseoyo), I missed the plane (, bihaenggi)
- 뻔하다ppeonhadato almost happen · only in -(으)ㄹ 뻔했다: (notchil ppeonhaesseoyo), I almost missed it
- 짐jimluggage, bags · (jimeul deulgo ttwieosseoyo), I ran (, ttwida) with my bags in my hands (, deulda, to hold, to carry)
- 겨우gyeoubarely, only just
- 멀미meolmitravel sickness, seasickness · (meolmireul hada), to feel sick (on a boat, bus, car); (gyesok meolmireul haesseoyo), I felt sick the whole time (, gyesok)
- 어떡해eotteokaeoh no, what a pity · short for (eotteoke hae), what can you do?
- 경치gyeongchiscenery, view
- 대단하다daedanhadato be amazing, impressive
- 태풍taepungtyphoon · (ilgi yebo), the weather forecast; (miri), beforehand, in advance
- 결항되다gyeolhangdoedato be cancelled (a flight or a ferry) · a train or event is (chwisodoeda)
- 섬seomisland
- 다행히dahaenghifortunately, luckily · (dahaengida), what a relief
Practise
1.You overslept and, as a result, missed the bus. Which sentence says it best?
2.What does (baereul notchil ppeonhaesseo) mean?
3.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.I overslept, so I almost missed the boat.
4.Match the Korean with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
5.Your friend says her passport was stolen on holiday. How do you react?
6.How do you say “If I had known, I wouldn't have gone”?
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
비행기를 놓칠 뻔했어요.
Bihaenggireul notchil ppeonhaesseoyo.
I almost missed the plane.
Listen, then say it out loud, as close to the recording as you can.
Check
Five questions on this chapter. Then mark it as finished to add its words to your review deck.
0 of 5 answered.