-기에 망정이지
luckily … otherwise
Relief after a close call. The first clause names what saved you; the second spells out the disaster that would otherwise have followed.
Build it
Pick a verb
When to use it
The usual shape is -았/었기에 망정이지, since you are looking back at something that already saved you. 망정 is a noun and takes a space. The variant -(으)니까 망정이지 is equally common.
The second clause states the averted disaster, and it almost always ends with -(으)ㄹ 뻔했다 or 큰일 날 뻔했다: 일찍 나왔기에 망정이지 큰일 날 뻔했어요.
That second clause is what completes the construction. Without it the sentence hangs, because the whole point is the contrast between what happened and what nearly did.
The tone is emphatic and conversational — a story told after the fact.
How to attach it
| Situation | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Usual form | -았/었기에 망정이지 | 나왔기에 망정이지 |
| Equivalent variant | -(으)니까 망정이지 | 나왔으니까 망정이지 |
| Second clause | -(으)ㄹ 뻔했다 | 큰일 날 뻔했어요 |
| Spacing | 망정 is a noun | 망정이지, after a space |
| Second clause | required | the averted disaster |
| Register | conversational, emphatic | telling the story afterwards |
In use
일찍 나왔기에 망정이지 하마터면 늦을 뻔했어요.
Lucky I left early — I very nearly turned up late.
우산을 챙겼기에 망정이지 비를 다 맞을 뻔했다.
Just as well I brought an umbrella, or I’d have been soaked.
미리 저장했기에 망정이지 파일을 다 날릴 뻔했어요.
Thank goodness I saved it — I nearly lost the whole file.
옆에서 잡아 줬으니까 망정이지 넘어질 뻔했어요.
Luckily someone caught me, or I’d have fallen.
여분을 만들어 놨기에 망정이지 큰일 날 뻔했습니다.
Just as well we made spares, or there’d have been trouble.
확인했기에 망정이지 그냥 보낼 뻔했어요.
Good job I checked — I almost sent it as it was.
Compared with
-(으)ㄹ 뻔하다
뻔하다 alone reports the near miss. 망정이지 adds what prevented it, so the two work together as a pair.
늦을 뻔했어요. (I nearly was late) / 일찍 나왔기에 망정이지 늦을 뻔했어요. (leaving early saved me)
-아서 다행이지
Very close and slightly plainer. 다행이지 states the relief directly; 망정이지 is more emphatic and story-like.
일찍 나와서 다행이에요. / 일찍 나왔기에 망정이지
-기에
The 기에 here is the same reason ending, but the fixed phrase 망정이지 turns it into a statement of narrow escape.
저렴하기에 구입했다. (since it was cheap) / 확인했기에 망정이지 (luckily I checked)
Watch out
일찍 나왔기에 망정이지 기분이 좋았어요.
일찍 나왔기에 망정이지 늦을 뻔했어요.
The second clause has to name the disaster you escaped. A pleasant follow-up leaves the construction unresolved.
일찍 나오기에 망정이지 늦을 뻔했어요.
일찍 나왔기에 망정이지 늦을 뻔했어요.
You are looking back at what already saved you, so the past marker is needed.
우산을 챙겼기에망정이지 비를 맞을 뻔했다.
우산을 챙겼기에 망정이지 비를 맞을 뻔했다.
망정 is a noun and takes a space.
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