Core Pattern Rule: Expressing Habitual Actions with -곤 하다
The pattern -곤 하다 is used to express an action that is done repeatedly or habitually. It's the equivalent of saying "I often do...", "I tend to...", or, in the past tense, "I used to...".
Meaning & Usage
Meaning: Indicates a repeated action or habit.
When to use: Use it to talk about your current routines (e.g., "I often sleep in on weekends") or to reminisce about past habits (e.g., "We used to fight a lot"). It's often paired with adverbs like 자주 (often), 가끔 (sometimes), or 옛날에 (in the old days).
Formation
Simply attach -곤 하다 to the stem of a verb. It doesn't matter if the stem ends in a vowel or a consonant.
Vowel stem: 자다 (to sleep) → 자곤 하다
Consonant stem: 먹다 (to eat) → 먹곤 하다
하다 verb: 생각하다 (to think) → 생각하곤 하다
주말엔 늦잠 자곤 해. / 스트레스 받으면 먹곤 해요. / 가끔 옛날 생각을 하곤 해. / 혼자 영화를 보곤 해요.
Present Habits vs. Past Habits: -곤 하다 vs. -곤 했다
A key feature of this pattern is its ability to distinguish between ongoing habits and past habits simply by changing the tense of 하다.
-곤 하다 (Present Tense)
This form describes a habit that is still true in the present. It means "I often do..." or "I tend to do...".
Example: 스트레스 받으면 먹곤 해요. (I eat when I'm stressed.) This is a current, ongoing habit.
-곤 했다 (Past Tense)
This form describes a habit you had in the past, often implying that you don't do it anymore. It means "I used to...".
Example: 옛날엔 자주 싸우곤 했지. (We used to fight often in the old days.) This implies that the fighting was a past habit, not a current one.
주말엔 늦잠 자곤 해. / 옛날엔 자주 싸우곤 했지. / 주말마다 등산하곤 했어. / 혼자 영화를 보곤 해요.
Native Nuance: -곤 하다 vs. -기 일쑤이다
While -곤 하다 is a neutral way to describe any repeated action, another pattern, -기 일쑤이다, is used specifically for negative or undesirable habits that happen frequently.