갔어
gasseo
The English phrase 'I went' is translated into Korean as 갔어 (gasseo).
갔어 is used to state that the speaker traveled to or visited a place in the past.
Which one should you use?
While 갔어 is the common spoken form, 갔다 is the plain or neutral past tense often used in writing or formal speech. Additionally, the form 갔다왔어 can be used to say 'I went' when you want to specifically include the notion of 'going and coming back'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The past tense of the verb '가다' is 갔다.
How do you pronounce it?
gasseo
Did you know?
- Korean speakers may use 갔어 to describe someone who has passed away, as a polite euphemism for 'going' to another world.
- In Korean, the phrase 'I went' can be used to express that a certain amount of time has passed. For example, 'Three years have gone' is expressed using a form of the verb 'to go'.
- When using 갔어, the subject 'I' is almost always omitted because it is understood from the context. Adding 나 (I) can actually make the sentence sound unnaturally self-centered in many casual conversations.
Examples in context
- 나는 기차로 집에 갔어.I went home by train.This sentence is useful for practicing how to say you went home by a specific mode of transport using 갔어.Tatoeba #8363541 by Eunhee, translation #6357165 by CK
- 낮에 이케아에 양탄자를 반품하러 갔어.During the day I went to Ikea to return the rug.This sentence shows how to use 갔어 when describing a reason for visiting a place.Tatoeba #3718238 by rainbow4us, translation #4576251 by imjcooper
- 내가 버스를 잘못 타 가지고 다른 곳으로 갔어.I took the wrong bus, so I went somewhere else.This sentence demonstrates using 갔어 to describe a movement to a different location.Tatoeba #9026537 by Languageswithlorena, translation #9026540 by Languageswithlorena
- 수영 수업에 다녀왔습니다.I went to a swimming lesson.
- 공원에 갔어.I went to the park.
- 놀이공원에 갔다왔어.I went to an amusement park and came back.
Example conversation
Minji and Hyunwoo are talking about their weekend.
- 민지 Min-ji주말에 어디에 갔어?jumare eodie gasseo?Where did you go over the weekend?
- 현우 Hyeon-woo나는 친구랑 바다에 갔어.naneun chingurang badae gasseo.I went to the beach with a friend.
- 민지 Min-ji정말 좋았겠다!jeongmal joatgetda!That must have been great!
- 현우 Hyeon-woo응, 정말 재미있었어.eung, jeongmal jaemieisseosseo.Yes, it was really fun.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
