-(으)ㄴ 적이 있다 in Korean: “have ever done”

-(으)ㄴ 적이 있다 (-(eu)n jeogi itda) means "have (ever) done" and talks about past experiences. 적 means "a time (when)", so 간 적이 있어요 is literally "there is a time when I went". Change 있다 to 없다 to say "have never done".

How to form it

How to use it

Use it to ask or talk about experiences: travel, food you've tried, things that happened once. It is the Korean way to say "Have you ever ...?"

It is very often combined with -아/어 보다 ("try"): 가 본 적이 있어요 ("I've been there"), 먹어 본 적이 있어요 ("I've tried eating it"). This sounds a bit more natural for experiences you chose to try.

In casual speech the 이 is often dropped (본 적 있어?), and with 한 번도 ("not even once") the 이 often changes to 도 or 은/는 for emphasis. Use 있어요/없어요 politely and 있어/없어 with friends.

Examples

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Don’t mix it up with

-아/어 봤어요: 가 봤어요 ("I've been / I tried going") is a shorter way to talk about experience. -(으)ㄴ 적이 있다 puts more focus on "at some point in my life".

-았/었어요: The plain past (갔어요, "I went") reports a specific event. -(으)ㄴ 적이 있다 asks or tells whether something has ever happened at all.

Common mistakes

Using it for everyday routines: 아침을 먹은 적이 있어요 ("I have had the experience of eating breakfast") sounds odd. Save it for experiences that are worth mentioning.

Using the present form 가는 적이 있어요. Experience is past, so use 간 적이 있어요.

Want the basics first? Read Try doing (-아/어 보다).