HYEJU LANGUAGE LAB · INTERMEDIATE 42 · LESSON 127

V-곤 하다used to / would often / sometimes do

-곤 하다 describes a repeated habit: 어릴 때 할머니 댁에 가곤 했어요 (I used to go to my grandmother’s place when I was young). In the present, -곤 해요 means “I sometimes / often do.”

Listening speed

Listen buttons use your device’s Korean voice. A Korean voice must be installed and available to the browser.

A situation you already know

Walking past your old high school, you remember the past.

학교 끝나고 친구들이랑 여기서 떡볶이를 먹곤 했어요.

After school, my friends and I used to eat tteokbokki here.

It happened again and again in the past. -곤 했어요 adds a warm, remembering feeling.

Build the form

FORM IN MOTION

Try an expression

먹다 → 먹 + 곤 했다 → 먹곤 했어요Complete expression
가다 → 가 + 곤 했다 → 가곤 했어요Complete expression
듣다 → 듣 + 곤 했다 → 듣곤 했어요Complete expression
산책하다 → 산책하 + 곤 하다 → 산책하곤 해요Complete expression
울다 → 울 + 곤 했다 → 울곤 했어요Complete expression

Verb stem + -곤 하다, no change: 먹곤, 가곤, 울곤.
Past habit: -곤 했어요 (most common).
Present habit: -곤 해요 → 가끔 혼자 영화를 보곤 해요.
Often used with 자주, 가끔, 종종, 시간이 날 때마다, 어릴 때.
Verbs only, and only for repeated actions, not one-time events.
It sounds a little written or reflective; in casual talk 자주 -았/었어요 is also common.

Think in Korean · an English-speaker’s guide

Past -곤 했다 ≈ English “used to” or “would” (We would go fishing every summer).
Present -곤 해요 ≈ “I tend to / I sometimes…” for a habit that still happens.
You need repetition: ✗ 작년에 한 번 제주도에 가곤 했어요 (only once).

Six examples in context

어릴 때 여름마다 바다에 가곤 했어요.

When I was little, we used to go to the beach every summer.

대학생 때는 밤새 이야기하곤 했어요.

In college, we would talk all night.

스트레스를 받으면 매운 음식을 먹곤 해요.

When I’m stressed, I tend to eat spicy food.

옛날에는 이 노래를 들으면서 울곤 했어요.

I used to cry listening to this song.

시간이 날 때마다 공원에서 산책하곤 해요.

Whenever I have time, I go for a walk in the park.

할아버지는 저녁마다 옛날이야기를 해 주시곤 했어요.

My grandfather would tell me old stories every evening.

Compare with related patterns

-던 N

자주 가던 카페

“The café I used to go to.” Describes a noun (Lesson 119).

-는 편이다

저는 자주 먹는 편이에요.

“I tend to eat often.” Describes your general tendency compared to others (Lesson 115).

-곤 했다

그 카페에 자주 가곤 했어요.

“I used to go to that café often.” Repeated past action at the end of the sentence.

Pattern	Choose it when…
-곤 했다	Repeated past habit (used to)
-곤 하다	Present habit (sometimes / often)
-던 N	Noun with a past habit
-는 편이다	General tendency

Common mistakes

작년에 한 번 일본에 가곤 했어요.작년에 한 번 일본에 갔어요.

One time only → no -곤 하다.

어릴 때 키가 작곤 했어요.어릴 때 키가 작았어요.

Adjectives/states don’t use -곤 하다.

먹고 했어요.먹곤 했어요.

It’s 곤, not 고.

자주 가곤 할 거예요.앞으로 자주 갈 거예요.

Not used for future plans.

Mini practice · six questions

Try each one before opening the answer. Translation answers are models; other natural wording is possible.

Fill in the blank고등학생 때는 친구들하고 노래방에 자주 ______. (가다)
Check answer
고등학생 때는 친구들하고 노래방에 자주 가곤 했어요.
Repeated past habit → -곤 했어요.
Fill in the blank요즘도 잠이 안 오면 책을 ______. (읽다)
Check answer
요즘도 잠이 안 오면 책을 읽곤 해요.
Present habit → -곤 해요.
Choose the natural form어제 처음으로 김치를 (만들곤 했어요 / 만들었어요).
Check answer
만들었어요
First time, once → simple past.
Choose the natural form어릴 때 저는 (조용하곤 했어요 / 조용했어요).
Check answer
조용했어요
Adjective → simple past.
Fix the mistake주말마다 등산하고 했어요.
Check answer
주말마다 등산하곤 했어요.
곤, not 고.
Say it in KoreanWhen I was a student, I used to study at this library.
Check answer
학생 때 이 도서관에서 공부하곤 했어요.
Past habit → -곤 했어요.

Today’s key point

V-곤 했다 = used to / would (past habit); V-곤 해요 = sometimes / often do (present habit). Verbs only, repeated actions only.

Keep learning

Hyeju Yoo

M.A. in Korean Language Education · Certified Korean language teacher

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