돌아가다
doragada[to̞ɾa̠ɡa̠da̠]
To say go back in Korean, meaning to return to a place, use 돌아가다 (doragada).
돌아가다 is the everyday verb for returning to a place, such as going back home or to your country.
Meaning: to return to a place (verb)
What does it mean word for word?
돌아가다 combines 돌다, to turn and 가다, to go. So it is literally to turn and go.
Which one should you use?
돌아오다 means to come back, toward the speaker, while 돌아가다 means going back away from the speaker. 복귀하다 is a formal word used in professional or official settings for returning to a previous position or status.
How does it change in a sentence?
돌아갑니다 is the formal polite form used in public or professional settings. The informal future is 돌아갈 거야, will go back.
How do you pronounce it?
It is romanized as doragada.
Did you know?
- The word 돌아가다 is a common euphemism for 'to die'. By saying someone has 'gone back', Koreans refer to returning to the original source or the afterlife.
- The verb 돌아가다 can also mean 'to circulate' or 'to run' when describing how a machine or a system functions.
- The verb 돌아가다 is mentioned in the 'Yongbi eocheon'ga', one of the earliest significant works of literature written in the Korean alphabet, first recorded in 1447.
Examples in context
- 저는 9월 1일에 캐나다로 돌아갈 거예요.I will go back to Canada on September 1st.Here 돌아갈 거예요 is the polite future form, and 캐나다로 marks Canada as the place the speaker returns to.
- 회사에 돌아가야 해요.I have to go back to the office.
- 그는 은퇴하더라도 복귀할 계획이 있다.Even though he retires, he has plans to go back.
- 나 집에 돌아가.I'm going back home.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “go back” translations and entries 돌아가다, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 돌아가다, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
