-는다는 것이: Meant To…, But — Intention That Diverged

Connective: meant to do X (-는다고 하는 것이), but the outcome went elsewhere.

Before this, make sure you know: -으려다가 , -으려고 / -려고 , -아요 / -어요

How to form it

When	Form	Example
Verb + -는다는 것이	-는다는 것이	잔다는 것이 / 간다는 것이 / 한다는 것이
Full paraphrase	-는다고 하는 것이	잔다고 하는 것이

-는다는 것이 means meant to…, but — intention whose result diverged.

Why this is hard

It packages ‘I meant to say/do X’ and then the outcome slips. Learners read bare quotation and miss the failed-intention turn. The claim-modifying -는다는 sits inside this longer expression, but here the whole package marks a failed intention.

What it does

You name an intended line that did not land as planned.

잔다는 것이 늦게까지 깨어 있었어요.
한마디 한다는 것이 길어졌어요.
도와준다는 것이 방해만 됐어요.
일찍 온다는 것이 늦었어요.

Forms

Report/intention chunk + 것이 with a divergent sequel.

When not to use it

Do not use it for successful intentions only. Do not treat it as plain quotation without the slip. Do not confuse it with soft -으려고 purpose alone.

Neighbours — and why they differ

Form	Why it is not this slot
-으려고	Purpose — may succeed; no built-in slip.
-는다기에	Because they said — reason from report.
-고 말다	End up — different path to an outcome.

Apology and humour love the slip: I meant to stop by, but…. Keep both intention and divergence clear.

Classroom examples should keep the meaning concrete: one clear scene beats three vague glosses. If a neighbour form already says the same thing more lightly, prefer the lighter tool unless register demands this one.

Ask: am I saying I meant to X but it went elsewhere? If yes, -는다는 것이. If the purpose succeeded, use plain -으려고.

Do not confuse it with

-으려다가

I was going to, but then

-으려고 / -려고

intending to, in order to

-고 말다

ended up doing it — usually regret, sometimes relief

Taught alongside this

On the jabi learning path, this appears in 표현 (expression) — Advanced Korean 1, Unit 4, on the theme of expression. These come with it:

-는다니1 what are they telling me to…? — asking what the order was -었던 that had been… — past modifier with a lingering sense 에 관하여 regarding, about — the written 에 관하여 / 관한 -자기에 because one decides to… — contracted -자고 하기에 (청유 인용 + 이유), pair of -는다기에 -게 마련이다 bound to be — naturally so (-기/게 마련이다) -게 생겼다 have ended up (badly)… — negative predicament with -게 생기다 -기 나름이다 depends on how you… — the outcome varies with the method -기가 바쁘게 as soon as — barely finishing one thing before the next -기가 쉽다 easy to… / prone to — a tendency that comes naturally -기만 하다 only does… — limiting the action to just that -기에 따라 depending on… — outcomes that change with the condition -기에 앞서(서) before doing… — prior to the step you name -은 나머지 as a result of… — the outcome that follows from that act -는 데다가 and on top of that — stacking one fact onto another -는 동시에 at the same time as — two things in the same moment -는 듯하다 seems to… — a soft guess from appearance -는 법이다 it is natural that… — a general rule of how things go -는 이상 now that / given that — already being in that state -은 채로 while still… — leaving it in the state it already has -는 척하다 pretend to… — acting as if -는 가운데 in the midst of — while that situation continues 는 말할 것도 없고 not to mention — A goes without saying, and B too (는/은 말할 것도 없고) -을 만하다 worth doing / decent enough — worth the effort or acceptable -을 법하다 likely to… — a reasonable prediction -을 테다 will (for sure) — a strong expectation about what follows -을 테면 if you are going to… — setting a condition for a plan -을 테지만 will, but… — expecting one thing and contrasting another -으려나 보다 I guess they mean to… — reading someone's likely intention 를 가지고 with, using — taking that as the means or topic -으면 몰라도 only if… — the following holds only under that (unreal / opposite) condition 에도 불구하고 despite — in spite of that noun situation -는데도 even though — contrast after a clause, softer than 지만 -어 내다 manage to… — pushing through until it is done -는다기에 because they say… — the reported claim is the reason -는데도 불구하고 even so — despite the whole preceding clause

Words used above

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-는다는 것이-neundaneun geosimeant to…, but…

자다jadato sleep

가다gadato go

하다hadato do

결국gyeolgukin the end

Quick check

No sign-up, no score saved — just see if it stuck.

1. You meant to sleep early, but the night ran the other way — name the slipped intention, not a clean purpose.

2. Same slip story — intended 하다, then mismatch. Which line uses this page’s -는다는 것이 shape?

3. You want the mid-switch neighbour -으려다가, not this page’s end-result mismatch package.

Common questions

Build?

Short for -는다고 하는 것이: the intended action, then a mismatched result.

Vs -으려다가?

Both track a plan that didn’t run straight. 으려다가 often mid-switch; 는다는 것이 often end result mismatch.

Tone?

Often self-comment or mild regret: 한다는 것이…

Second clause?

Usually the unexpected outcome.