-다가 in Korean: “while doing, then”
-다가
-daga
while doing, then
Intermediate · Linking ideas
-다가 (-daga) means "while doing (something), then" and shows that one action was interrupted or switched to another. It is how you say things like "I fell asleep while studying" or "I ran into a friend on my way home".
How to form it
| When | Add | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb stem | + 다가 | 가다 → 가다가, 먹다 → 먹다가 |
| 하다 verb | + 다가 | 공부하다 → 공부하다가 |
| Past (finished, then changed) | + 았/었다가 | 사다 → 샀다가, 입다 → 입었다가 |
How to use it
A-다가 B means you were in the middle of A, then B happened or you switched to B. The same person does both parts.
It often explains how something (usually bad) happened in the middle of an activity: 뛰다가 넘어졌어요 (I fell while running).
With past tense, -았/었다가 means you fully did A and then did something different, often the opposite: 샀다가 환불했어요 (I bought it, then returned it).
In casual speech 가 is often dropped: 가다 친구를 만났어. The politeness comes from the final ending.
Examples
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Late-night study
Telling about your day
Showing a scraped knee
Shopping regret
Don’t mix it up with
-고: Simply lists actions in order. -다가 shows the first action was interrupted or switched in the middle.
-는 길에: Means "on the way" and is used only with movement verbs. -다가 works with almost any action.
-더니: Reports a change or result you observed, often in someone else. -다가 is about the same person switching actions.
Common mistakes
Using two different people: 엄마가 요리하다가 내가 먹었어요 is wrong. -다가 needs the same person in both parts.
Want the basics first? Read "And" and "and then" (-고).
Questions learners ask
What is the difference between -다가 and -고?
-고 just means "and then" after finishing. -다가 means you were in the middle of something when you stopped or something else happened.
What does -았/었다가 mean?
It means you completed an action and then did something different or opposite, like opening a window and then closing it again: 창문을 열었다가 닫았어요.