KOREAN LEVEL UP › Korean grammar › -다가
Korean Grammar “-다가”: Meaning and Usage (TOPIK 3)
How to attach it
Attach the pattern to the verb stem, which is the dictionary form without 다. Compare how each verb below changes depending on its last sound.
| Dictionary form | Meaning | With this pattern | Romanization |
|---|---|---|---|
| 보다 | to see, to watch | 보다가 | bodaga |
| 읽다 | to read | 읽다가 | ikdaga |
| 하다 | to do | 하다가 | hadaga |
| 살다 | to live | 살다가 | saldaga |
What changes
- This ending attaches directly to the stem. Nothing changes, whether the stem ends in a vowel or a consonant.
Explanation
학교에 가다가 지갑을 두고 온 걸 알았어요.
“-다가” shows that an action or state is interrupted midway and replaced by another action or situation. The sentence means “On my way to school, I realized I had left my wallet behind.” The subject of both clauses is normally the same, and it attaches to a verb stem, as in 가다가, 먹다가, 자다가. Do not confuse it with “-아/어서,” which gives a reason.
Pronouncing the example sentence
Example sentence: 학교에 가다가 지갑을 두고 온 걸 알았어요.
In natural speech, sounds link and shift across words. The table below reads each word separately, as it sounds when said on its own.
| Syllable | Letters (consonant + vowel + final) | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| 학교에 | ||
| 학 | ㅎ+ㅏ+ㄱ | hak |
| 교 | ㄱ+ㅛ | [꾜] gyo |
| 에 | ㅇ+ㅔ | e |
| 가다가 | ||
| 가 | ㄱ+ㅏ | ga |
| 다 | ㄷ+ㅏ | da |
| 가 | ㄱ+ㅏ | ga |
| 지갑을 | ||
| 지 | ㅈ+ㅣ | ji |
| 갑 | ㄱ+ㅏ+ㅂ | [가] ga |
| 을 | ㅇ+ㅡ+ㄹ | [블] beul |
| 두고 | ||
| 두 | ㄷ+ㅜ | du |
| 고 | ㄱ+ㅗ | go |
| 온 | ㅇ+ㅗ+ㄴ | on |
| 걸 | ㄱ+ㅓ+ㄹ | geol |
| 알았어요 | ||
| 알 | ㅇ+ㅏ+ㄹ | [아] a |
| 았 | ㅇ+ㅏ+ㅆ | [라] ra |
| 어 | ㅇ+ㅓ | [써] sseo |
| 요 | ㅇ+ㅛ | yo |
A ㅇ at the start of a syllable is silent; at the end of a syllable it sounds like “ng”.
Sound changes in this phrase
- Tensing: after a final ㄱ, ㄷ or ㅂ sound, ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ, ㅅ and ㅈ become tense (ㄲ, ㄸ, ㅃ, ㅆ, ㅉ). 학교 → [학꾜]
- Linking: when a syllable ending in a consonant (patchim) is followed by a syllable that starts with a vowel, the consonant moves over to the next syllable. 갑을 → [가블]
Politeness level of the example
Ends in -요. The everyday polite style, and a safe choice with shop staff, colleagues, strangers and anyone older than you.
Words in the example sentence
These words from the TOPIK vocabulary lists appear in the phrase (shown in dictionary form).
| Korean | Part of speech | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 지갑 | noun | wallet | TOPIK level 2 |
| 알다 | verb | to know | TOPIK level 1 |
Practice
Test yourself before you move on. Tap an answer.
Question 1 Choose the word that fits the blank: 학교에 가____ 지갑을 두고 온 걸 알았어요.
Show the answer
Answer: 학교에 가다가 지갑을 두고 온 걸 알았어요.
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