TOPIK II · LEVEL 3
-아/어 버리다
-아/어 버리다 shows that an action is completely finished and gone, usually adding the speaker's feeling of regret ("ended up") or relief ("got it over with").
시제·상Tense & aspectHan: 춥다 is an adjective, and -아/어 버리다 attaches to verbs; turn it into the verb 추워지다 (become cold) first.
Examples
배가 너무 고파서 케이크를 혼자 다 먹어 버렸어요.I was so hungry that I ended up eating the whole cake by myself.
숙제를 미리 다 해 버리니까 마음이 편하네요.I got all my homework done in advance, so I feel relieved.
친구가 기다리다가 먼저 가 버렸어요.My friend waited for a while and then just left without me.
지하철에서 지갑을 잃어버렸어요.I lost my wallet on the subway.
Don’t mix up
-아/어 버리다vs-아/어 놓다/두다-아/어 놓다 means you did something and keep the result for later use; -아/어 버리다 means it is finished and gone, with feeling: 미리 표를 사 놓았어요 (bought in advance, ready) vs 표가 다 팔려 버렸어요 (sold out, sadly).
-아/어 버리다vs-고 말다-고 말다 stresses an unwanted result that happened despite resistance or effort and is more formal; -아/어 버리다 is more conversational and can also show relief: 참다가 결국 울고 말았어요 vs 일을 빨리 끝내 버렸어요.How to build it
V+아/어 버리다 (past: V + 아/어 버렸다)
먹다 → 먹어 버렸어요; 가다 → 가 버렸어요; 하다 → 해 버렸어요
- It attaches to verbs, not adjectives. To show a change of state with an adjective, first make it a verb with -아/어지다: 추워지다 → 추워져 버렸다.
- It usually appears in the past (-아/어 버렸다) for finished events, but it can also express intention or advice: 오늘 다 끝내 버릴 거예요, 그냥 잊어버려.
- Because it carries emotion, it sounds odd in neutral factual reports, and about a senior's actions it can sound blunt or critical.
- 잊어버리다 (forget) and 잃어버리다 (lose) have become single words and are written without a space.
Classic mistake
Wrong: 날씨가 갑자기 추워 버렸어요.
Right: 날씨가 갑자기 추워져 버렸어요.
춥다 is an adjective, and -아/어 버리다 attaches to verbs; turn it into the verb 추워지다 (become cold) first.
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All TOPIK grammar- -던-던 describes a noun with an action that was ongoing, repeated or left unfinished in the past: 'that I used to / was doing'.
- -고 말다Says that something ended up happening in the end, usually against one's wishes or expectations (often with regret); with -겠다 it expresses strong determination.
- -곤 하다-곤 하다 says something was done repeatedly, as a habit: 'used to / would often'.
- -는 중이다Shows that someone is right in the middle of an action, either now or at a given moment in the past.
- -아/어 오다 (화자 쪽으로)Shows that someone else's action is directed toward the speaker or the speaker's side: 'X contacted us, X proposed to me, X came asking'. Common in reports and news.
- -아/어 가다/오다-아/어 가다 means a change continuing from now into the future; -아/어 오다 means a change that has continued up to now.
- -아/어 두다(놓다)-아/어 두다(놓다) means you do something on purpose and leave the result in place, usually so it is ready for later.
- -았/었었--았/었었- is the 'more past' form: something was true or done in the past but is no longer so.
- -(으)ㅁ-(으)ㅁ turns a verb or adjective into a noun; it is used in notes, notices, memos and written records.