haru Korean › Grammar › Level 3A › V-았/었다가
V-았/었다가 — did …, then undid it — finishing one thing, then the opposite or something else
Did …, then undid it — finishing one thing, then the opposite or something else. Korean grammar for intermediate learners — Level 3A, lesson 7: 껐다가 다시 켜 보세요 (Turn it off and on again — breakdowns and repairs).
What it means
-았/었다가 links two actions when the first one is completely finished and then you do the opposite, or change course: 에어컨을 껐다가 다시 켰어요 'I turned the air conditioner off and then on again', 창문을 열었다가 닫았어요 'I opened the window and then closed it'. Take the past form, drop 어요 and add 다가: 껐어요 → 껐다가, 열었어요 → 열었다가, 했어요 → 했다가. So the vowel rule is the one you know from -았/었어요: ㅏ or ㅗ → 았다가 (갔다가, 닫았다가, 잠갔다가), everything else → 었다가 (껐다가, 켰다가, 열었다가), and 하다 → 했다가. It is also used when you go somewhere and then do something else: 편의점에 갔다가 건전지를 사 왔어요. Compare -다가 from Lesson 2A-7: 가다가 means you stopped in the middle of going (학교에 가다가 친구를 만났어요), but 갔다가 means you got there first (학교에 갔다가 집에 왔어요). In speech 가 often drops: 갔다 왔어요, 화장실에 갔다 올게요. The same person does both actions, and the tense or the request goes on the last verb: 껐다가 다시 켜 보세요.
Forms
| Pattern | When | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -았다가 | ㅏ · ㅗ | 가다 + 았다가 → 갔다가 |
| -었다가 | 그 외 (ㅏ · ㅗ 아님) | 켜다 + 었다가 → 켰다가 |
| 했다가 | 하다 | 청소하다 → 청소했다가 |
Key points
- V-았/었다가 = did … and then (the opposite, or something else): ㅏ · ㅗ → 았다가 (갔다가 · 닫았다가) · others → 었다가 (껐다가 · 켰다가 · 열었다가) · 하다 → 했다가
- -다가 (Lesson 2A-7) stops in the middle: 가다가 = on the way. -았/었다가 comes after it is finished: 갔다가 = went there (and then …).
Examples
- -았/었다가: 어떤 일을 다 한 후에 그 일을 반대로 하거나 다른 일을 해요.
- 끄다 → 껐다가 다시 켜요. 열다 → 열었다가 닫아요. 사다 → 샀다가 환불해요.
- -다가(2A 7과)는 하는 중간에 멈춰요: 학교에 가다가 친구를 만났어요.
- -았/었다가는 다 한 후에: 학교에 갔다가 집에 왔어요.
- 말할 때는 짧게: 갔다 왔어요 · 편의점에 갔다 올게요.
Where university textbooks teach it
This point also appears in: Seoul National University Korean 3A, lesson 7; Yonsei University Korean 2-1, lesson 10; Yonsei University Korean 3-2, lesson 18; Ewha Womans University Korean 2-2, lesson 12; Hongik University Korean 3B, lesson 9; Hanyang University Korean 2-2, lesson 10.
Also in this lesson
- A-(으)ㄴ데도 · V-는데도 — even though … · … and it still didn't — when the result you expect does not come
- A/V-더니 — (I saw that) …, and then / but now … — a change or a result you noticed
- V-도록 (하다) — so that … · please make sure you … — purpose and polite advice