Course

6. Habits & Experience

Explore a wide range of Korean grammar patterns for discussing habits, experiences, and ongoing situations. You will learn to express what you 'have ever' done with -ㄴ/은 적이 있다/없다, recall things you 'used to do' with -곤 하다, and describe continuous states. These lessons help you add nuance to your storytelling, allowing you to share detailed personal accounts, express regrets, and explain your decision-making process.

23 episodes

Continue · EP.123 Start from EP.123

Episodes

EP.123

State of being

-아/어 있다

Use -아/어 있다 to describe a state that continues after an action is finished. It's perfect for describing what you see, like a door that 'is open' (열려 있다) or a person who 'is sitting' (앉아 있다).

EP.124

Have done / Experience

-ㄴ/은 적이 있다

Practice talking about past experiences using the pattern -ㄴ/은 적이 있다/없다. Learn to ask and answer whether you "have ever" done something, like visiting Korea or making Kimchi.

EP.125

Used to / Recall

-던

Use the -던 pattern to recall past actions, describing something you "used to do" habitually or an action that was interrupted. It's perfect for modifying nouns, like talking about "a restaurant I used to go to" or pointing to "the bread I was eating."

EP.126

If I had done...

-았/었더라면

Use -았/었더라면 to express regret about something you didn't do in the past. Practice imagining a different outcome for a past situation, like "If I had studied back then, I would have gone to a better university."

EP.127

Hesitating whether to

-으ㄹ까 말까

Express your indecision with -(으)ㄹ까 말까, the pattern for 'should I or shouldn't I?'. Use it when you're debating whether to buy something, go to a party, or even confess your feelings.

EP.128

While doing X, realized Y

-다가 보니까

Use -다가 보니까 to express discovering something new or reaching an unexpected outcome while continuously doing an action. It's like saying "while I was busy living, I forgot," or "I kept eating and realized I'd finished it all."

EP.129

If you keep doing

-다가 보면

Use the -다가 보면 pattern to say that if you keep doing an action, a certain result will naturally follow. It's great for encouraging someone or predicting a future outcome, like saying, "If you keep studying, you'll get good at it."

EP.130

As soon as / Accordance

-는 대로

Practice the two key uses of -는 대로: to mean "as soon as" an action is completed (e.g., "call me as soon as you arrive"), and to mean "in accordance with" or "just as" (e.g., "do as you're told").

EP.131

To the extent that

-으ㄹ 정도로

Use -을/ㄹ 정도로 to express an extreme degree, like saying something is "so... that..." or "...enough to...". Learn to describe intense feelings and situations vividly, such as being "full enough to burst" or something being "delicious enough to make you cry."

EP.132

Depends on doing

-기 나름이다

Use the pattern -기 나름이다 to say that an outcome isn't fixed, but depends entirely on how you act or think. Practice with common examples like how success depends on effort, or happiness depends on your mindset.

EP.133

To do X is...

-자니

Use '-자니' to express hesitation or a dilemma where doing an action leads to a negative outcome. It's perfect for situations where you're weighing pros and cons, like deciding whether to buy something expensive or throw away something useful.

EP.134

Habitually do

-곤 하다

Use the pattern -곤 하다 to talk about things you habitually or repeatedly do, both now and in the past. Learn to say "I often..." or "I used to..." for everyday habits, like eating when stressed or frequently visiting a certain cafe.

EP.135

Ended up doing

-고 말았다

Use the pattern -고 말았다 to express that you ended up doing something you didn't intend to, often with a sense of regret. Learn to talk about breaking your diet, missing the bus, or falling asleep by mistake.

EP.136

Know how to

-으ㄹ 줄 알다/모르다

Practice saying whether you know how to do something with the pattern -(으)ㄹ 줄 알다/모르다. It's used to ask about or state your ability to perform a skill, like driving, cooking, or playing an instrument.

EP.137

Start doing

-기 시작하다

Use the -기 시작하다 pattern to express that an action or state has begun. Practice with everyday examples like "it started raining" or "I started studying Korean" to talk about the beginning of a change.

EP.138

Why don't you?

-지 그래요?

Learn to make a soft suggestion with '-지 그래요?', the Korean equivalent of "Why don't you...?" Use it in everyday situations, like telling a tired friend they should get some rest.

EP.139

Make sure to

-도록 하다

Use -도록 하다 to give a clear instruction or strong suggestion, like telling someone to 'make sure to' finish by tomorrow or be careful. It's a slightly softer and more indirect way to issue a command than a direct imperative.

EP.140

Even though

-는데도

Use -는데도 to express "even though" when a result is unexpected given the situation. It's perfect for when you've taken medicine but still feel sick, or studied hard but didn't do well on a test.

EP.141

Even just / For example

-만 해도

Use -만 해도 to single out an example or contrast the past with the present. It's perfect for saying "even just..." or "take for example...", like when you mention, "It was fine just yesterday," to highlight how things have changed.

EP.142

Do you plan to?

-으ㄹ 셈이야?

Use -을/ㄹ 셈이야? to challenge someone's intentions, like asking "Are you really planning to...?" when you're surprised or disapprove. Practice with real-life examples like questioning someone for sleeping in or eating all the food.

EP.143

Even if I have to

-는 한이 있어도

Use -는 한이 있어도 to express your strong determination to do something, no matter the extreme cost. Learn to declare your resolve with real-life examples, like saying, "Even if I have to stay up all night, I'll finish it."

EP.144

Maybe because

-아/어서 그런지

Practice guessing the reason for a situation or feeling with -아/어서 그런지, which means "maybe because...". Use it to soften your explanation when you feel tired, see a crowd, or feel happy, suggesting a likely but unconfirmed cause.

EP.145

You know / Because

-거든요

Use -거든요 to provide a reason or state a fact the listener might not know, like saying "Actually, I'm not hungry" or "That's mine, you know." It adds a nuance of explaining the background situation.