-고 말다 in Korean: “end up (sadly), finally”
-고 말다
-go malda
end up (sadly), finally
Intermediate · Helper verbs
-고 말다 (-go malda) means "to end up doing something," usually something you did not want or tried to avoid. It is almost always used in the past, -고 말았어요, and carries a feeling of regret or "in the end, it happened anyway."
How to form it
| When | Add | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb stem | + 고 말았다 | 울다 → 울고 말았다 |
| 하다 verb | + 고 말았다 | 포기하다 → 포기하고 말았다 |
| Polite past | + 고 말았어요 | 잠들다 → 잠들고 말았어요 |
| Strong resolve | + 고 말겠다 / 말 거예요 | 이기다 → 이기고 말겠다 |
How to use it
Use -고 말았다 when something happened in the end, despite effort or wishes. Words like 결국 (in the end) and 또 (again) often come with it: 결국 울고 말았어요 (I ended up crying in the end).
It sounds a bit more serious and story-like than -아/어 버리다. You will see it a lot in writing, diaries, and narration. In casual chat, people often use -아/어 버렸어 instead.
A second use is strong determination in the future: -고 말겠다 or -고 말 거야, "I will do it no matter what." This works only with your own plans.
Examples
Tap a word to see what it means and save it to your flashcards.
After a sad movie
Breaking a diet
Studying too late
Before an exam
Don’t mix it up with
-아/어 버리다: More common in everyday talk and can show relief as well as regret. -고 말다 sounds heavier and is mostly about unwanted results.
-게 되다: A neutral "end up" or "come to," with no feeling of regret. 한국에 살게 됐어요 just reports how things turned out.
Common mistakes
Using it with adjectives. -고 말다 goes with verbs: 늦고 말았어요 is fine, but you cannot attach it to 예쁘다 or 좋다.
Using it for a happy, everyday event. 맛있는 밥을 먹고 말았어요 sounds like eating was a defeat.
Questions learners ask
What does 말았어요 mean?
After a verb with -고, 말았어요 means "ended up (doing it)" with regret. On its own, 말다 means "to stop" or "not to do," as in -지 마세요.
Can -고 말다 be positive?
In the future form -고 말겠다 or -고 말 거야 it shows strong resolve, like "I'll do it no matter what." In the past it usually describes something you wish hadn't happened.