-곤 하다
Used to, Often Do
-곤 하다 is used to express an action that is done repeatedly or was a habit. It translates to 'often do' or 'used to do'.
How It Works
The pattern -곤 하다 is a useful way to talk about habits and repeated actions in a slightly more formal or literary way than just using adverbs like 자주 (often).
Formation:
It's formed by attaching -곤 to a verb stem, followed by the verb 하다.
- Verb Stem + -곤 하다
- 먹다 (to eat) → 먹곤 하다
- 보다 (to see/watch) → 보곤 하다
- 가다 (to go) → 가곤 하다
Usage and Tense:
The tense of the entire phrase is determined by the conjugation of 하다.
- Present Habit ('often do'): -곤 해요 / -곤 합니다
e.g., 주말에는 영화를 보곤 해요. (On weekends, I often watch movies.) - Past Habit ('used to do'): -곤 했어요 / -곤 했습니다
e.g., 어렸을 때 이 공원에서 놀곤 했어요. (When I was young, I used to play in this park.)
Nuances:
While it can be used for present habits, it's very common for reminiscing about past habits. It implies that the action was done from time to time, not necessarily every single day. It's more about a recurring pattern than a strict routine.
Compared to other ways of expressing habits, -곤 하다 can sound a bit more reflective or even literary. In casual conversation, people might just use an adverb like 자주 with the simple past or present tense.
Examples (4)
- 주말에는 보통 집에서 책을 읽곤 해요.
On weekends, I usually tend to read books at home.
Word by Word: On weekends, usually at home books read often.
This describes a current, repeated habit.
- 학생 때 그 식당에 자주 가곤 했어요.
When I was a student, I used to go to that restaurant often.
Word by Word: Student time that restaurant to often go used to.
This describes a past habit using -곤 했어요.
- 피곤할 때면 단것을 먹곤 합니다.
When I'm tired, I often eat something sweet.
Word by Word: Tired when sweet thing eat often.
- 우리는 밤늦게까지 전화로 이야기하곤 했다.
We used to talk on the phone until late at night.
Word by Word: We until late at night by phone talk used to do.
The plain form -곤 했다 gives this sentence a reflective or literary feel, as if recalling a memory.
Common Mistakes
Using -곤 하다 for a single, one-time event.
Not Quite어제 공원에서 산책하곤 했어요.Better어제 공원에서 산책했어요.-곤 하다 is only for actions that are repeated over time. For a single action that happened once in the past, you must use the simple past tense.
Attaching -곤 하다 to adjectives.
Different Meaning작년 겨울은 아주 춥곤 했어요.Better작년 겨울은 아주 추웠어요.This pattern describes repeated actions, so it can only be used with action verbs. It cannot be used with descriptive verbs (adjectives) to describe a state.
Learn This First
To express 'used to, often do', you need conjugation and 하다 knowledge.
Related Patterns
- -던Had Been -ing
Both can describe past habits. However, -던 is a noun modifier (e.g., 내가 읽던 책 - the book I used to read), while -곤 하다 is a verb phrase that completes a sentence (e.g., 나는 그 책을 읽곤 했다 - I used to read that book).
- -는 편이다Tend to, Rather
Both describe tendencies. -는 편이다 ('tend to') describes a general characteristic or inclination, while -곤 하다 describes more concrete, repeated actions. '저는 일찍 자는 편이에요' (I tend to sleep early) vs. '저는 자기 전에 책을 읽곤 해요' (I often read a book before sleeping).
- -기 일쑤이다Often, Frequently
Both describe frequent occurrences. However, -기 일쑤이다 ('often do', 'be common') almost always has a negative connotation, referring to something undesirable that happens frequently. -곤 하다 is neutral.