The Korean grammar pattern 아/어다가 is a must-know for intermediate learners who want to sound more natural in everyday conversations. This structure connects two actions, where the result of the first is used or transferred in the second. In this guide, you’ll learn how to use 아/어다가 correctly with real-life examples, clear explanations, and practical tips.
Contents
1. Definition
The expression ‘아/어다가’ links two actions, showing that the result of the first action is moved or utilized in the second. It often translates to “do something and then take that result to…” or “after doing A, use it to do B.”
There’s no perfect one-word English equivalent, but it can be translated as:
- “after doing A, (take it to) do B”
- “do A and then (with it) do B”
2. Form (Structure)
The 아/어다가 pattern follows strict conjugation rules based on the verb stem’s final vowel. Verbs only can be used (not adjectives), and the structure emphasizes physical/contextual transfer of results between actions.
Conjugation Rules:
- 아다가: Verb stems ending in ㅏ or ㅗ (e.g., 가다 → 가다가)
- 어다가: All other verb stems (e.g., 먹다 → 먹어다가)
- 하다가: 하다 verbs (e.g., 준비하다 → 준비하다가)
Example Verbs
1. 아다가 Verbs (ㅏ/ㅗ ending)
- 사다 (to buy) → 사다가 (to buy and then)
- 가다 (to go) → 가다가 (to go and then)
- 오다 (to come) → 오다가 (to come and then)
- 보다 (to see) → 보다가 (to see and then)
- 자다 (to sleep) → 자다가 (to sleep and then)
- 놀다 (to play) → 놀다가 (to play and then)
- 만나다 (to meet) → 만나다가 (to meet and then)
2. 어다가 Verbs (Other vowels)
- 먹다 (to eat) → 먹어다가 (to eat and then)
- 읽다 (to read) → 읽어다가 (to read and then)
- 쓰다 (to write) → 써다가 (to write and then)
- 만들다 (to make) → 만들어다가 (to make and then)
- 받다 (to receive) → 받아다가 (to receive and then)
- 빌리다 (to borrow) → 빌려다가 (to borrow and then)
- 팔다 (to sell) → 팔다가 (to sell and then)
3. 하다가 Verbs (하다 verbs)
- 준비하다 (to prepare) → 준비하다가 (to prepare and then)
- 청소하다 (to clean) → 청소하다가 (to clean and then)
- 공부하다 (to study) → 공부하다가 (to study and then)
- 요리하다 (to cook) → 요리하다가 (to cook and then)
- 정리하다 (to organize) → 정리하다가 (to organize and then)
- 수리하다 (to repair) → 수리하다가 (to repair and then)
- 계산하다 (to calculate) → 계산하다가 (to calculate and then)
| Verb Type | Verb | Form | Example |
| ㅏ/ㅗ ending | 사다 (to buy) | 사다가 | 빵을 사다가 친구에게 줬어요. (I bought bread and then gave it to my friend.) |
| Other vowels | 빌리다 (to borrow) | 빌려다가 | 책을 빌려다가 숙제했어요. (Borrowed a book and did homework.) |
| 하다 verbs | 청소하다 (to clean) | 청소하다가 | 방을 청소하다가 옷을 정리했어요. (Cleaned the room and organized clothes.) |
3. Meaning & Usage
Use ‘아/어다가’ when:
- The result of the first action is moved to a different place.
- The result of the first action is used in a second related action.
- You want to emphasize the sequence and transfer between two actions.
1. Moving Something and Doing Another Action
- 옷을 빨아다가 널었어요.
(I washed the clothes and then hung them up.) - 물을 받아다가 화분에 줬어요.
(I got water and gave it to the plants.) - 책을 빌려다가 읽었어요.
(I borrowed a book and then read it.) - 쓰레기를 모아다가 버렸어요.
(I collected the trash and threw it away.) - 과일을 사다가 주스로 만들었어요.
(I bought fruit and then made juice.) - 꽃을 사다가 선물로 줬어요.
(I bought flowers and gave them as a gift.) - 종이를 자르다가 장난감을 만들었어요.
(I cut the paper and made a toy.)
2. Doing One Action and Using the Result Elsewhere
- 케이크를 만들어다가 파티에 가져갔어요.
(I made a cake and brought it to the party.) - 영화를 다운받아다가 봤어요.
(I downloaded the movie and watched it.) - 사진을 찍어다가 앨범에 넣었어요.
(I took photos and put them in the album.) - 책을 사다가 선물로 줬어요.
(I bought a book and gave it as a gift.) - 돈을 모아다가 여행을 갔어요.
(I saved money and went on a trip.)
4. Key Points to Remember
- Use when the result of one action is used in another.
- Often implies movement or transfer.
- Common in spoken Korean.
- Only used with verbs, not adjectives.
- Cannot be used for unrelated sequential actions.
5. Practice Exercises
Fill in the Blank.
- 커피를 ______ (타다) 친구에게 주었어요.
(Brew the coffee and give it to your friend.) - 음악을 ______ (듣다) 친구에게 추천했어요.
(Listen to the music and recommend it to your friend.) - 편지를 ______ (쓰다) 우체국에 보냈어요.
(Write the letter and then send it to the post office.) - 과일을 ______ (사다) 주스를 만들었어요.
(Buy the fruit and turn it into juice) - 쓰레기를 ______ (모으다) 버렸어요.
(Collect the trash and throw it away.) - 사진을 ______ (찍다) 앨범에 넣었어요.
(Take the photos and put them in the album.) - 책을 ______ (빌리다) 읽었어요.
(Borrow the book and read it.) - 꽃을 ______ (사다) 선생님께 드렸어요.
(Buy the flowers and give them to the teacher.) - 돈을 ______ (모으다) 여행을 갔어요.
(Save up the money and go on a trip.) - 영화를 ______ (다운받다) 친구들과 봤어요.
(Download the movie and watch it with friends.)
6. Answers
- 타다가
- 들어다가
- 써다가
- 사다가
- 모아다가
- 찍어다가
- 빌려다가
- 사다가
- 모아다가
- 다운받아다가
7. Common Mistakes and Tips
⚠️ Mistake 1: Using ‘아/어/하다가’ with adjectives
Incorrect: 날씨가 좋아다가 나갔어요. ❌ (The weather was good and I went out.)
Correct: 날씨가 좋아서 나갔어요. ✅ (The weather was good, so I went out.)
💡 Tip: ‘아/어/해다가’ is used with verbs only, not with adjectives like ‘좋다’ or ‘춥다’.
⚠️ Mistake 2: Using ‘아/어/해하다가’ when actions are unrelated
Incorrect: 밥을 먹어다가 공부했어요. ❌ (I ate and then studied.)
Correct: 밥을 먹고 공부했어요. ✅ (I ate and then studied.)
💡 Tip: Use ‘-아/어서‘ or ‘-고’ when the actions are simply sequential and not result-based.
⚠️ Mistake 3: Forgetting the movement or transfer element
Incorrect: 텔레비전을 봤다가 잠들었어요. ❌ (I watched TV and fell asleep.)
Correct: 텔레비전을 보고 잠들었어요. ✅ (I watched TV and fell asleep.)
💡 Tip: ‘아/어/해다가’ should show that something was physically or contextually transferred for a second action.
⚠️ Mistake 4: Using ‘-아/어다가’ without physical/contextual transfer
Incorrect: 공부해다가 잤어요. ❌ (I studied and then slept.)
Correct: 공부하고 잤어요. ✅ (I studied and then slept.)
💡 Tip: Use ‘-아/어다가’ only when transferring a result (object/action) to a new context.
⚠️ Mistake 5: Confusing ‘-아/어다가’ with simple sequencing
Incorrect: 편지를 써다가 우체국에 갔어요. ❌ (I wrote a letter and went to the post office.)
(If no letter was physically moved)
Correct: 편지를 써서 우체국에 갔어요. ✅ (I wrote a letter, so I went to the post office.)
⚠️ Mistake 6: Misapplying ‘-아/어다가’ in abstract actions
Incorrect: 생각해다가 결정했어요. ❌ (I thought about it and decided.)
Correct: 생각하고 결정했어요. ✅ (I thought about it and decided.)
💡 Tip: -아/어다가 requires tangible movement (e.g., objects, food, documents).
The grammar pattern ‘아/어다가’ is essential for conversational Korean, especially when describing actions involving result transfer. With practice and attention to context, learners can naturally incorporate this pattern into daily conversations.