Korean grammar patterns › Level 5
-(으)ㄹ 지경이다
to the point of, on the verge of (an extreme state)
Level 5 · TOPIK II · advanced
How to use it
Says a situation has become so bad that it has nearly reached an extreme result. Usually negative and often exaggerated.
Forming it
| 쓰러지다 | → 쓰러질 지경이다 |
| 죽다 | → 죽을 지경이에요 |
| 울다 | → 울 지경이에요 |
| 없다 | → 없을 지경이에요 |
Examples
너무 배가 고파서 쓰러질 지경이에요.
I'm so hungry I'm about to collapse.
일이 너무 많아서 미칠 지경이에요.
I have so much work I'm going crazy.
Compared with similar patterns
-(으)ㄹ 정도로 shows degree in general (good or bad); -(으)ㄹ 지경이다 is a sentence ending for a hard, almost unbearable state.