-아/어 버리다
Do Completely, Finish Up
-아/어 버리다 is an auxiliary verb construction that emphasizes the completion of an action. It adds a nuance that the action is completely finished, often with an emotional feeling of either relief or regret.
How It Works
-아/어 버리다 is an auxiliary verb construction that attaches to the verb stem to emphasize that an action has been completed thoroughly and is now finished. It carries a strong sense of finality.
Conjugation:
The conjugation follows the same rules as the -아/어 informal present tense ending.
- If the verb stem's last vowel is ㅏ or ㅗ, you add -아 버리다.
- 가다 (to go) → 가 버리다
- 오다 (to come) → 와 버리다 - If the verb stem's last vowel is anything else (ㅓ, ㅜ, ㅣ, ㅡ, etc.), you add -어 버리다.
- 먹다 (to eat) → 먹어 버리다
- 잊다 (to forget) → 잊어 버리다 - For 하다 verbs, it becomes -해 버리다.
- 숙제하다 (to do homework) → 숙제해 버리다
Two Main Nuances:
1. Relief or Satisfaction:
This usage implies that a difficult, burdensome, or long-awaited task is finally over, bringing a sense of relief.
- 숙제를 다 해 버렸어요. (I finally finished all my homework!)
- 힘든 시험이 끝나 버렸다. (The difficult exam is finally over.)
2. Regret, Surprise, or an Unintended Outcome:
This usage implies that an action happened, often unintentionally or undesirably, and the result is irreversible. It can express frustration or disappointment.
- 지갑을 잃어버렸어요. (I lost my wallet.) - Note: 잃어버리다 is a very common fixed expression.
- 버스가 그냥 가 버렸어요. (The bus just left without me.)
This pattern is most often used in the past tense as -아/어 버렸다, as it describes an action that is already completed. It is very common in spoken Korean to add emotional emphasis.
Examples (5)
- 오랫동안 고민했던 문제를 풀어 버렸어요.
I finally solved the problem I had been worrying about for a long time.
Word by Word: For a long time worried-about problem solved completely.
This expresses a sense of relief and satisfaction after completing a difficult task.
- 친구가 내 케이크를 다 먹어 버렸어.
My friend ate up all my cake.
Word by Word: Friend my cake all ate completely.
This implies a sense of regret or annoyance that the cake is now completely gone.
- 기차가 이미 떠나 버렸어요.
The train has already left.
Word by Word: The train already left completely.
This expresses the finality of the situation. The train is gone, and there's nothing to be done about it.
- 비밀인데 친구에게 말해 버렸어요.
It was a secret, but I ended up telling my friend.
Word by Word: Secret but to a friend told completely.
This shows regret for an action that was done unintentionally or by mistake and cannot be undone.
- 너무 피곤해서 그냥 잠들어 버렸어요.
I was so tired that I just fell asleep.
Word by Word: So tired so just fell asleep completely.
This describes an action that happened completely and perhaps unintentionally due to a certain condition (being tired).
Common Mistakes
Using -아/어 버리다 for simple, neutral past actions.
Different Meaning어제 도서관에 가 버렸어요.Better어제 도서관에 갔어요.-아/어 버리다 adds a strong emotional nuance (like relief or regret). Using it for a simple action like 'going to the library' sounds unnatural, as if going there was a huge, final event or a mistake. For neutral past events, just use the simple past tense -았/었어요.
Attaching -아/어 버리다 to adjectives (descriptive verbs).
Not Quite어제 날씨가 좋아 버렸어요.Better어제 날씨가 좋았어요.This pattern is an auxiliary verb construction that can only follow action verbs. It cannot be used with adjectives like 좋다 (to be good), 예쁘다 (to be pretty), etc.
Learn This First
To express 'do completely, finish up', you need verb conjugation knowledge.
Related Patterns
- -고 말다End Up Doing, Finally Do
Both express the completion of an action. However, -고 말다 almost always implies an undesirable or unintended outcome that happened despite one's efforts. -아/어 버리다 is broader and can express either regret or relief.
- -아/어 놓다Do and Leave, Keep as Is
-아/어 놓다 also indicates a completed action, but its focus is on the resulting state being maintained for future use (e.g., 'open the window and leave it open'). -아/어 버리다 focuses on the finality and emotional impact of the action itself, not its continuing state.
- -아/어 두다Do in Advance, Keep
Similar to -아/어 놓다, -아/어 두다 means to do something in advance for future convenience. It contrasts with -아/어 버리다, which is about the immediate completion and emotional release/regret associated with an action, not about preparing for the future.
- -았/었/였-Past Tense
-았/었/였- is the standard past tense marker. -아/어 버리다 is often used in the past tense (-아/어 버렸다) but adds a layer of emotional nuance (relief, finality, regret) that the simple past tense does not have. It's a way to emphasize the completion of the action.