-아/어 가다
Keep Doing, Moving Towards
-아/어 가다 shows an action continuing into the future, like 'keep doing' or 'gradually doing'. It's the opposite of -아/어 오다, which looks back from the past to the present.
How It Works
The grammar pattern -아/어 가다 has two main functions related to progression and movement.
1. Progression or Continuation Over Time
This is the most common usage. It signifies that an action or state is gradually progressing or continuing from the present moment into the future. It implies a process that is ongoing and will continue.
- 알아 가다: to get to know (gradually)
- 나아져 가다: to be getting better
- 만들어 가다: to build/create over time
This usage often conveys a sense of development or change that unfolds over a period.
2. Performing an Action and Moving Away
This usage is more literal. It means someone performs an action and then moves away from the current location (or the speaker's location).
- 책을 빌려 가다: to borrow a book (and take it away)
- 음식을 싸 가다: to pack food (and take it with you)
Key Distinction: -아/어 가다 vs. -아/어 오다
This is a crucial concept. These two patterns are opposites in terms of temporal direction.
- -아/어 가다: Describes progression from the present → future. The action moves away from the present.
- -아/어 오다: Describes continuation from the past → present. The action has been happening up to now.
For example:
• 앞으로 한국어를 열심히 공부해 갈 거예요. (I will continue to study Korean hard from now on.) → Present to Future
• 지금까지 한국어를 열심히 공부해 왔어요. (I have studied Korean hard up until now.) → Past to Present
Conjugation:
Attach it to the verb stem.
- Verb stems ending in ㅏ or ㅗ: + -아 가다 (e.g., 알다 → 알아 가다)
- Verb stems ending in other vowels: + -어 가다 (e.g., 만들다 → 만들어 가다)
- 하다 verbs: become 해 가다 (e.g., 발전하다 → 발전해 가다)
Examples (5)
- 우리는 서로에 대해 조금씩 알아 가고 있어요.
We are getting to know each other little by little.
Word by Word: We about each other little by little are getting to know.
This shows the gradual process of 'getting to know' someone, which continues from the present into the future.
- 기술이 계속 발전해 가고 있습니다.
Technology is continuously developing.
Word by Word: Technology continuously is developing.
- 겨울이 거의 끝나 가요.
Winter is almost coming to an end.
Word by Word: Winter almost is ending.
This describes the process of winter ending, which is happening now and will be complete in the near future.
- 친구가 도서관에서 책을 빌려 갔어요.
My friend borrowed a book from the library and left.
Word by Word: Friend at library book borrowed and went.
This is the literal meaning: the friend performed the action of 'borrowing' and then 'went' away with the book.
- 이 프로젝트를 끝까지 잘 만들어 갑시다.
Let's build this project well until the very end.
Word by Word: This project until the end well let's make and go.
Common Mistakes
Confusing -아/어 가다 (moving forward in time) with -아/어 오다 (from past to present).
Not Quite저는 10년 동안 한국어를 공부해 갔어요.Better저는 10년 동안 한국어를 공부해 왔어요.-아/어 가다 implies progression from now into the future. To describe an action that has continued from the past up to the present, like studying for 10 years, you must use -아/어 오다.
Learn This First
To express 'keep doing/moving away', you need verb conjugation.
Related Patterns
- -아/어 오다Has Been, Coming Towards
This is the direct opposite of -아/어 가다. While -아/어 가다 describes progression from the present to the future, -아/어 오다 describes an action that has been happening from the past up to the present.
- -고 있다Be -ing
Both express continuous action. However, -고 있다 focuses on an action happening right now ('be -ing'), while -아/어 가다 emphasizes the gradual progression of that action over a period of time into the future.
- -아/어지다Become, Turn into
This pattern means 'to become' or 'get' and is used with adjectives to show a change of state (e.g., 예뻐지다 - to become pretty). It's similar to -아/어 가다 when describing a gradual change, like in '날씨가 따뜻해져 가요' (The weather is gradually getting warmer).
- -게 되다Become, End Up
Both can describe a change in state. -게 되다 means 'to end up' or 'to become', focusing on the result of a change. -아/어 가다 focuses on the gradual process of that change happening over time.