HYEJU LANGUAGE LAB · INTERMEDIATE 05 · LESSON 90
-(으)ㄹ걸 그랬다 / -지 말걸 그랬다I should have… / I shouldn’t have…
Looking back on a choice you regret? -(으)ㄹ걸 그랬어요 means “I should have done it (but I didn’t).” -지 말걸 그랬어요 means “I shouldn’t have done it (but I did).” In casual speech, the short -(으)ㄹ걸 on its own carries the same regret.
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A situation you already know
It suddenly starts pouring, and your umbrella is at home.
Oh, I should have brought an umbrella.
You didn’t bring it, and now you regret it. The past is carried by 그랬어요; the verb stays as stem + -(으)ㄹ걸.
Build the form
- 가다 → 가- → 가 + ㄹ걸 → 갈걸 그랬어요Complete expression
- 먹다 → 먹- → 먹 + 을걸 → 먹을걸 그랬어요Complete expression
- 만들다 → 만들- → 만들 + 걸 → 만들걸 그랬어요Complete expression
- 듣다 → 듣- → 들- → 들 + 을걸 → 들을걸 그랬어요Complete expression
- 사다 → 사- → 사 + 지 말걸 → 사지 말걸 그랬어요Complete expression
- Vowel stems: -ㄹ걸 → 갈걸, 볼걸. Consonant stems: -을걸 → 먹을걸, 읽을걸.
- ㄹ stems keep ㄹ and just add 걸: 만들걸, 열걸. Irregulars: 듣다 → 들을걸, 돕다 → 도울걸.
- Regret for not doing: -(으)ㄹ걸 그랬어요. Regret for doing: -지 말걸 그랬어요.
- Don’t put the verb in the past: ✗갔을걸 그랬어요 → ✓갈걸 그랬어요.
- Casual speech, often to yourself: 갈걸. / 말하지 말걸. Write 걸 together with the verb; it sounds like [껄].
Think in Korean · an English-speaker’s guide
- English “should have” can also blame someone else (“You should have told me!”). This Korean pattern is mainly about your own regret. To blame someone, Koreans say things like 말해 주지 그랬어요.
- Watch the intonation. The same -(으)ㄹ걸 with a rising tone is a guess: 지금쯤 도착했을걸? (They’ve probably arrived by now.) Regret falls at the end and uses the plain stem.
- Korean often adds a sigh word in front: 아, 그냥 집에 있을걸. (Ugh, I should have just stayed home.)
Six examples in context
I should have gone to bed early last night.
I should have booked ahead. There are no seats.
I shouldn’t have said that.
I ate too much. I should have eaten just a little.
These shoes are uncomfortable. I shouldn’t have bought them.
I should have studied Korean harder when I was in school.
Compare with related patterns
-아/어야 했어요
일찍 출발해야 했어요.“I had to leave early.” States a past necessity; regret is not the focus.
-았/었더라면
일찍 출발했더라면 안 늦었을 거예요.“If I had left early, I wouldn’t have been late.” An unreal past condition and its imagined result.
-(으)ㄹ걸? (guess)
민수는 벌써 집에 갔을걸?“Minsu has probably gone home already.” A rising-tone guess, not regret.
| Pattern | Choose it when… |
|---|---|
| -(으)ㄹ걸 그랬다 | regret about something you didn’t do |
| -지 말걸 그랬다 | regret about something you did |
| -아/어야 했다 | a past necessity or obligation |
| -(으)ㄹ걸? (rising) | a casual guess |
Common mistakes
For regret, keep the verb stem; 그랬어요 carries the past.
Write 걸 together with the verb.
ㄹ stems don’t add 을.
You watched it and regret it → -지 말걸.
Mini practice · six questions
Try each one before opening the answer. Translation answers are models; other natural wording is possible.
- Fill in the blank점수가 안 좋아요. 시험 전에 복습을 ______. (하다)
Check answer
시험 전에 복습을 할걸 그랬어요.
You didn’t review and regret it → 할걸 그랬어요.
- Fill in the blank배가 너무 아파요. 매운 음식을 ______. (먹다)
Check answer
매운 음식을 먹지 말걸 그랬어요.
You ate it and regret it → 먹지 말걸.
- Choose the natural form길이 너무 막혀요. 지하철을 (탈걸 / 탔을걸) 그랬어요.
Check answer
탈걸
Stem + -(으)ㄹ걸 for regret.
- Choose the natural form친구 생일을 잊어버렸어요. 메모해 (둘걸 / 두지 말걸) 그랬어요.
Check answer
둘걸
You didn’t write it down → 둘걸.
- Fix the mistake케이크를 직접 만들을걸 그랬어요.
Check answer
케이크를 직접 만들걸 그랬어요.
ㄹ stem → 만들걸.
- Say it in KoreanI should have listened to my mother.
Check answer
엄마 말을 들을걸 그랬어요.
듣다 → 들을걸 (ㄷ irregular).
Today’s key point
Didn’t do it → -(으)ㄹ걸 그랬어요. Did it → -지 말걸 그랬어요. Keep the verb stem (no 았/었) and write 걸 together. A rising -(으)ㄹ걸? is a guess, not regret.
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