📘 Grammar 40: How to Use ~다가 – While Doing Something, Then… in Korean

📘 How to Use ~다가 – While Doing Something, Then… in Korean

Want to say “I was walking and then saw her,” “While I was studying, I fell asleep,” or “I was cleaning and hurt my back” in Korean?

Then you need to learn the grammar pattern ~다가, which is used to show that one action was happening, and then another action happened or interrupted it.

This grammar is especially useful when talking about unexpected changes or when something happens during another action.

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📌 What Does ~다가 Mean?

~다가 expresses a transition between two actions. It shows that Action A was happening, and then Action B occurred (often suddenly or unexpectedly).

Structure:

• Verb stem + 다가 + second action

✔️ Action A is interrupted or stopped, and Action B begins.

📘 Example Sentences

• 길을 걷다가 친구를 만났어요 – I was walking and (then) met a friend
  gil-eul geot-da-ga chin-gu-reul man-nat-seo-yo
• 공부하다가 잠이 들었어요 – I was studying and (then) fell asleep
  gong-bu-ha-da-ga jam-i deu-reot-seo-yo
• 요리하다가 손을 데었어요 – I was cooking and burned my hand
  yo-ri-ha-da-ga son-eul de-eot-seo-yo
• 운전하다가 전화했어요 – I was driving and made a call
  un-jeon-ha-da-ga jeon-hwa-haet-seo-yo

📊 Grammar Table – Examples of ~다가

Verb	Form with 다가	Meaning	Romanization
걷다 (to walk)	걷다가	while walking	geot-da-ga
공부하다 (to study)	공부하다가	while studying	gong-bu-ha-da-ga
청소하다 (to clean)	청소하다가	while cleaning	cheong-so-ha-da-ga
보다 (to watch/see)	보다가	while watching	bo-da-ga

💡 When to Use ~다가

• ✔️ Action A is happening, then Action B suddenly happens
• ✔️ The subject usually remains the same in both actions
• ✔️ Often used with surprise, mistake, or accident

Examples:

• 텔레비전을 보다가 잠들었어요 – I was watching TV and fell asleep
• 달리다가 넘어졌어요 – I was running and fell

❗ Common Mistakes

• ❌ 걷고 친구를 만났어요 → ✅ 걷다가 친구를 만났어요
• ❌ 청소하고 허리를 다쳤어요 → ✅ 청소하다가 허리를 다쳤어요
• “다가” is used to show unexpected sequence, not just order.

🧪 Mini Quiz – Test Yourself!

1. How do you say “I was reading and then fell asleep”?
   a) 읽고 잠이 들었어요
   b) 읽다가 잠이 들었어요
   
   Click to Show Answer

   ✅ b) 읽다가 잠이 들었어요

2. Translate: “He was working and got a phone call.”
   a) 일하다가 전화가 왔어요
   b) 일하고 전화 왔어요
   
   Click to Show Answer

   ✅ a) 일하다가 전화가 왔어요

3. Which one uses ~다가 correctly?
   a) 운동하다가 피곤했어요
   b) 운동하고 피곤했어요
   
   Click to Show Answer

   ✅ a) 운동하다가 피곤했어요

✅ Conclusion

Now you know how to express interruptions or transitions between actions using ~다가.

• Use it to say “While doing A, B happened”
• Often used for accidents, surprises, or sudden changes
• Great for storytelling and conversations

Try these:

• “While working, I got tired” → 일하다가 피곤해졌어요
• “While cooking, the fire went out” → 요리하다가 불이 꺼졌어요

📘 Coming Up Next

Next lesson: How to Use ~ㄹ게요 – I Will (With Intention/Promise) in Korean
Learn how to make polite, future promises like “I’ll help,” “I’ll call you,” and more!

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