-아/어 버리다 Finish Regret: Meaning, Rules and Examples

What you'll learn

• Build -아/어 버리다 on any action verb, including 쓰다, 하다 and 가다.
• Tell completion, regret and relief apart from the context.
• Choose between -아/어 버리다, the plain past and -고 말다.
• Spot the common mistakes, such as using it for a neutral, planned task.

Prerequisites: the lesson on -아/어 주다 do for, which teaches the same vowel rule, and the polite ending -아요/어요. Time: about 15 minutes.

Key facts

• -아/어 버리다 is an auxiliary construction: the main verb comes first and 버리다 follows it.
• The main verb says what happened, and 버리다 says it is done and cannot be undone.
• The feeling is not fixed. It can be regret, relief or a firm decision, and the context tells you which.
• The vowel rule is the same as for -아요/어요: 아 after ㅏ or ㅗ, and 어 after other vowels.
• Two very common results are written as one word: 잃어버리다 and 잊어버리다.

Listen to two model sentences, one for each side of the pattern.

The next section defines the pattern and shows what it means.

What Does -아/어 버리다 Finish Regret Mean?

-아/어 버리다 means that an action has been carried out completely and cannot be taken back. An auxiliary verb is a verb that follows a main verb and adds a meaning of its own. In 먹어 버리다, the main verb is 먹다 ("eat") and the auxiliary is 버리다.

On its own, 버리다 means "throw away": 쓰레기를 버려요 means "I throw away the rubbish". As an auxiliary it keeps a trace of that meaning. The action is "thrown away", finished and out of your hands. English has no single match. Depending on the sentence, you can translate it as "ate it all up", "ended up losing" or "went and did it".

The pattern carries three feelings, and the context decides which one you hear.

• Completion. Nothing is left: 돈을 다 써 버렸어요 means "I spent all the money".
• Regret. The result is unwelcome: 늦잠을 자 버렸어요 means "I overslept (and that is bad)".
• Relief. A weight is gone: 숙제를 다 해 버렸어요 means "I got all the homework done (at last)".

A First Example

Here are two sentences. The first leans toward relief and the second toward regret.

In both sentences 버렸어요 is the past polite form of 버리다. Because the action is already over, this pattern appears most often in the past tense. The next section shows how it is formed.

How Does -아/어 버리다 Finish Regret Work?

The rule has two steps: attach 아 or 어 to the stem of the main verb, then add 버리다 and conjugate it. The stem is the verb without its dictionary ending -다. For 먹다 the stem is 먹.

1. Choose 아 or 어 by the last vowel of the stem. After ㅏ or ㅗ use 아. After every other vowel use 어. 하다 uses its own form, 해.
2. Add the auxiliary 버리다. 먹어 버리다, 닫아 버리다.
3. Conjugate 버리다 for tense and speech level. 버려요 (present), 버렸어요 (past), 버릴 거예요 (future).

Pattern Table

Three points explain most of the table. First, a stem that ends in a vowel merges with 아 or 어: 자 + 아 stays 자, and 마시 + 어 becomes 마셔. Second, 쓰다 loses its ㅡ before 어, so it becomes 써, the same change you see in 써요. Third, a final consonant links to the next syllable in speech, so 먹어 is said [머거] and 읽어 is said [일거].

How Does 버리다 Change?

Only 버리다 changes with tense and speech level. The main verb stays as 먹어. The next table shows the forms you will use most.

In the future form, a tense consonant appears in speech after -(으)ㄹ, so 먹어 버릴 거예요 is said [머거 버릴꺼예요]. The formal past is spelled 버렸습니다 and said [버렫씀니다], and Revised Romanization writes it beoryeotseumnida.

The next section builds one sentence from scratch.

Worked Example: Building 케이크를 다 먹어 버렸어요

To say that you ate a whole cake and it is gone, start from the dictionary verb and add the pattern in five steps.

1. Pick the main verb. "Eat" is 먹다, and the object is 케이크 ("cake").
2. Find the stem and its last vowel. The stem is 먹, and its vowel is ㅓ, so the connecting vowel is 어: 먹어.
3. Add the auxiliary 버리다. 먹어 버리다 means "eat it up for good".
4. Choose the tense and level. The cake is already eaten, so use the polite past: 버렸어요.
5. Add the object and the adverb. 다 means "all" and strengthens the idea of completion. The result is 케이크를 다 먹어 버렸어요.

You'll know it worked when the verb pair ends in 버렸어요, 먹어 stands directly before it, and 다 comes before the verb. The same steps give 돈을 다 써 버렸어요 ("I spent all the money") and 우유를 다 마셔 버렸어요 ("I drank all the milk"). The adverb 다 is not required, but it fits the meaning so well that many sentences include it.

The pattern also works with verbs that have no object. 친구가 가 버렸어요 means "My friend has gone (and I am left behind)", and 휴대폰이 꺼져 버렸어요 means "My phone has switched off (on me)". Here the main verb is intransitive, which means it has no object, and the pattern still fits. The speaker is affected by the result, and 버리다 shows that.

The next section compares the pattern with the forms learners confuse it with.

How Is -아/어 버리다 Different from Similar Forms?

Three ways of reporting a finished event are close. The plain past states a fact. -아/어 버리다 adds a feeling and a sense of "done for good". -고 말다 end up marks an unwanted or unplanned result.

All three sentences are correct, and the differences are small. The plain past, which is taught in past tense -았/었-, tells the listener what happened and nothing more. 잃어버리다 is so common that it is the usual verb for losing an object. -고 말다 stresses that you did not want the result, so it fits a mistake or an accident better than a planned act.

The key difference from -고 말다 is intention. 말해 버렸어요 can mean "I blurted it out" or "I finally said it, and I feel better". 말하고 말았어요 means only that you said it and wish you had not. Because -아/어 버리다 can be glad, sad or neutral about the same event, a listener reads the feeling from the situation, the adverbs and the tone of voice.

Is it the same as 끝내다? No. 끝내다 means "to finish" and is neutral: 숙제를 끝냈어요 means "I finished my homework". 숙제를 끝내 버렸어요 adds "and I am glad it is over". Use the plain verb when you want a simple report.

The next section explains when to use the pattern and how to write it.

When Do You Use -아/어 버리다, and When Not?

Use -아/어 버리다 when the result matters to you and the action is complete. It suits lost or used-up things, sudden departures, a task that is finally over and a decision you have taken.

Regret, Relief and Decision

The same grammar covers three attitudes. Compare these three sentences.

In a decision, the future form shows that you plan to cut something off. 그냥 그만둬 버릴 거예요 is said [그냥 그만둬 버릴꺼예요], and it sounds emotional, like "I will just quit". It is not a calm business plan.

Questions and Tone

In a question, the pattern asks about a result that the speaker has noticed. 왜 다 먹어 버렸어요? means "Why did you eat it all?", and the question word 왜 carries the stress. As with other wh-questions, the question word carries the prominence and the sentence often ends with a fall or a rise-fall, rather than a sharp rise. Yes/no questions such as 다 먹어 버렸어요? end with a rise.

Spelling and Spacing

Spelling follows the Korean spelling rules (한글 맞춤법, Article 47). An auxiliary verb is written as a separate word, so 먹어 버렸어요 has a space. The rules also allow the attached spelling in many cases, such as 먹어버렸어요, and you will see it in messages. Two results are special. 잃어버리다 ("lose") and 잊어버리다 ("forget") are listed as single dictionary words, so write them joined: 지갑을 잃어버렸어요, 약속을 잊어버렸어요. The spaced spelling 잊어 버리다 also appears, but the joined word is the safer choice.

The sound of the joined words follows the link rule. 잃어버렸어요 is said [이러버려써요], because the ㅎ of 잃 is silent before a vowel, and 잊어버렸어요 is said [이저버려써요].

When the Pattern Does Not Fit

Skip -아/어 버리다 in four situations. First, when you are making a plain report with no feeling, such as a schedule: use the plain past. Second, with adjectives, because the pattern needs an action that finishes. Third, with a state that has no end point, such as 있다 ("stay, be"): 집에 있어 버렸어요 is unnatural. Fourth, in a very formal report, where neutral verbs are the norm.

What this lesson does not cover. The pattern for leaving something done in advance (-아/어 놓다) and for saying that you want to do something (-고 싶다) have their own lessons. The related pages are -아/어 놓다 -아/어 두다 and -고 싶다 want to.

An honest limit. The feeling of -아/어 버리다 is not in the grammar alone. The same sentence can be glad or sad, and a listener decides from the situation. If your feeling is not clear, add a word that shows it, such as 결국 ("in the end") for regret or 드디어 ("at last") for relief.

The next section lists the errors that appear most often.

What Mistakes Do Learners Make with -아/어 버리다?

Learners make five predictable mistakes. Each has a reason and a fix.

Learners often assume the pattern is just a stronger past tense. Actually it adds a feeling. Wrong, for a calm report: 어제 보고서를 써 버렸어요. Right: 어제 보고서를 썼어요. Fix: use the plain past unless you want to show regret, relief or finality.

Learners often assume the vowel is always 어. Actually the vowel follows the stem. Wrong: 닫어 버렸어요 or 먹아 버렸어요. Right: 닫아 버렸어요 and 먹어 버렸어요. Fix: look at the last vowel of the stem, as with -아요/어요.

Learners often mix up the main verb 버리다 and the auxiliary. Actually the main verb means "throw away" and the auxiliary adds feeling. 쓰레기를 버렸어요 means "I threw away the rubbish". In 쓰레기를 다 버려 버렸어요 the first 버려 is the main verb and the second 버렸어요 is the auxiliary, so two forms of 버리다 can sit side by side. Fix: look for a verb before 버리다. If one is there, 버리다 is the auxiliary.

Learners often write -고 버리다 when they mean "finish". Actually 먹고 버렸어요 means "I ate it and then threw it away", because -고 links two separate actions. Right: 먹어 버렸어요. Fix: use 아/어 when you want the one-action meaning of finishing.

Learners often assume the pattern can describe a future plan in a calm way. Actually the future form is emotional. 내일 다 마셔 버릴 거예요 sounds like "I will just drink it all tomorrow". Fix: use a plain future for a neutral plan.

Practice puts these rules into your own sentences, as the next section shows.

Practice and Answers

Complete the four tasks, then compare your answers with the key.

Task 1: choose 아 or 어. Write the form with 버렸어요.

1. 마시다
2. 읽다
3. 쓰다
4. 지우다

Task 2: fix the error. Each sentence has one mistake. Rewrite it correctly.

1. 케이크를 먹아 버렸어요.
2. 어제 숙제를 했어요. (the speaker wants to say "I got it all done, what a relief")
3. 우유를 마시고 버렸어요. (the speaker wants to say "I drank it all up")

Task 3: translate. Write in Korean: "I accidentally deleted the photos." and "My phone has switched off."

Task 4: write your own. Write one sentence about something you lost or used up, and one about a task you finally finished.

Answer key

1. (1) 마셔 버렸어요 (2) 읽어 버렸어요 (3) 써 버렸어요 (4) 지워 버렸어요
2. (1) 케이크를 먹어 버렸어요. (2) 어제 숙제를 다 해 버렸어요. (3) 우유를 마셔 버렸어요.
3. 실수로 사진을 지워 버렸어요. 휴대폰이 꺼져 버렸어요.
4. Sample answers: 돈을 다 써 버렸어요. ("I spent all my money.") 드디어 보고서를 다 써 버렸어요. ("I finally got the report written.") Any action verb is correct if the vowel matches the stem and 버리다 follows it.

If task 1 was correct, you have the vowel rule. If task 2 was hard, return to the comparison table and ask what the speaker feels. The next section points you to what comes after this lesson.

What Should You Learn after -아/어 버리다 Finish Regret?

After -아/어 버리다 finish regret, learn -고 말다 end up, which covers unwanted results in detail. Then read -아/어 놓다 -아/어 두다, which shows an action done in advance and left that way. To say that you want to do something, continue with -고 싶다 want to.

For a wider view, the parent page Korean auxiliary verbs lists every lesson in learning order. To review the vowel rule on a simpler pattern, return to -아/어 보다 try.

This lesson covers -아/어 버리다 in the polite, formal and casual forms. It does not cover every spoken shortening. About this page. Last updated 2026-10-09. The Korean text and spoken forms on this page were machine-generated and reviewed and signed off by Min-ji Park on 15 October 2026. Romanization follows the Revised Romanization of Korean and is shown only as a learning aid.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Does -아/어 버리다 Mean?

-아/어 버리다 marks an action as finished for good, often with a feeling. The main verb names the action and 버리다 adds regret, relief or a sense that it cannot be undone. 케이크를 다 먹어 버렸어요 means "I ate the whole cake", and 지갑을 잃어버렸어요 means "I lost my wallet".

How Do I Form -아/어 버리다?

Take the verb stem and add 아 after the vowels ㅏ and ㅗ, or 어 after any other vowel. Write 버리다 as the next word and conjugate it. 먹다 becomes 먹어 버렸어요, 쓰다 becomes 써 버렸어요, and 하다 becomes 해 버렸어요. Put the politeness ending on 버리다, as in 버렸어요 or 버렸습니다.

What Is the Most Common Mistake with -아/어 버리다?

The most common mistake is using it for a plain, planned action. 오늘 숙제를 끝내 버렸어요 hints that you are glad, sad or surprised. For a neutral report, use the plain past, 숙제를 했어요. A second mistake is the wrong vowel, such as 먹아 버렸어요 instead of 먹어 버렸어요.

How Is -아/어 버리다 Different from -고 말다?

Both show a result with feeling. -고 말다 is for something unintended or unwanted, so it nearly always carries regret. -아/어 버리다 is wider: it can show regret, but also relief or a firm decision. 말해 버렸어요 can mean "I blurted it out" or "I finally said it".

Do I Use -아/어 버리다 in Speech, Writing or Both?

Both. It is very common in spoken Korean, in messages and diaries, and in fiction, where it gives a sentence feeling. Formal reports and news prefer neutral verbs. The formal polite form is 버렸습니다, as in 책을 잃어버렸습니다, which you can use at work or at a counter.

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