-다가는 Grammar in Korean: Meaning and How to Use It

What you'll learn

• Attach -다가는 to any verb stem.
• Use it for warnings with a bad result.
• Tell -다가는 apart from -다가 and -(으)면.
• Recognise the set phrases 이러다가는 and 그러다간.

Prerequisites: the pattern -다가 and the future guess -(으)ㄹ 거예요. Time: about 15 minutes.

Key facts

• -다가는 means "if you keep doing X", and the result is always bad.
• The form never changes: verb stem + 다가는. In speech it often shortens to -다간.
• The main clause is a prediction: -(으)ㄹ 거예요, -겠어요, -(으)ㄹ 수 있어요 or 큰일 나요.
• It is not for good results or for facts that already happened.
• It sounds direct, like advice from a parent or a friend.

Listen to two model sentences.

The next section defines the pattern.

What Does -다가는 Grammar Mean?

-다가는 means "if you keep doing X" or "if you go on like this". A connective ending is a word or ending that joins one clause to the next. -다가는 is a connective ending that tells the listener, "If this action carries on, a bad result will come."

The ending is built from two parts. The first is -다가, which shows an action that is interrupted or that gives way to another. The second is the particle 는, which here adds emphasis and a sense of "as for this". Put together, 먹다가는 means "if you go on eating", with the stress on a result that the speaker fears.

So the feeling is a warning. The speaker pictures where the action will lead and does not like it. The main clause is always about something negative: gaining weight, failing an exam, losing health, having an accident.

Here are two glossed examples.

In both sentences, the second clause is a bad prediction in the future form -(으)ㄹ 거예요. This is typical. The pattern pairs a continuing action with a forecast.

The next section shows how to build the form.

How Do You Form -다가는?

The rule is simple. Remove 다 from the dictionary form to get the stem. The stem is the verb without its dictionary ending -다. For 먹다 the stem is 먹. Then add 다가는.

Most connective endings change with the last sound of the stem. They need 아/어 or 으 in some cases. -다가는 does not, because it starts with a consonant. A consonant-first ending never needs a helping vowel, so the stem is left as it is.

One sound change appears in this table. After a final consonant such as ㄱ, ㄷ or ㅂ, the ㄷ of 다 is said as a tense ㄸ, so 먹다가는 sounds like [먹따가는]. This tensing happens in speech only; the spelling does not change. Revised Romanization (RR) is a spelling system that writes sounds in Latin letters. It does not mark tensing that comes from a neighbouring sound, so it writes meokdaganeun.

Stems Ending in a Vowel

Vowel stems take 다가는 directly: 하다가는, 자다가는, 가다가는. For verbs made with 하다, add 다가는 to 하: 야근하다가는, 운전하다가는. You do not need to change 하 to 해.

Stems Ending in a Consonant

Consonant stems also take 다가는 directly: 먹다가는, 걷다가는. There is no 으 to insert. This is a difference from -(으)면, which adds 으 after some consonants.

Irregular Stems and Nouns

Irregular stems do not change before 다가는. An irregular stem is one that changes its shape before an ending that begins with a vowel. 다가는 begins with a consonant, so the change never happens.

The pattern is mainly for action verbs, because it needs an action that can go on. A descriptive word can follow it in a set phrase such as 이렇게 바쁘다가는 병이 나겠어요, but such uses are rare. For nouns, the pattern is not used on its own. You can express the idea with a verb: 이렇게 일만 하다가는.

The next section builds a full sentence.

Worked Example: Building 밤새 게임을 하다가는 몸이 상할 거예요

Say "If you keep playing games all night, your health will suffer." Follow five steps.

1. Write the continuing action. "Play games all night" is 밤새 게임을 해요. The word 밤새 means "all night long".
2. Find the stem. The dictionary form is 하다, so the stem is 하.
3. Add 다가는. 하다가는 means "if you keep doing". Remove the polite ending 요, because the ending belongs to the last verb only.
4. Write the bad result. "Your body will be harmed" is 몸이 상할 거예요. The verb 상하다 means "to be damaged", and -(으)ㄹ 거예요 makes a prediction.
5. Join the two parts. 밤새 게임을 하다가는 몸이 상할 거예요.

You'll know it worked when the first verb ends in 다가는 with nothing after it, the result is something bad, and the polite ending 요 appears only once, at the end. Try the same steps with "If you keep sleeping late, you will be late": 늦잠을 자다가는 지각할 거예요.

The next section covers tense and sentence types.

Which Tenses and Sentence Types Work with -다가는?

The first clause has one fixed shape: the stem plus 다가는. The time is shown by the main clause. The main clause is a prediction, so it is usually in the future or guess form. These are explained on their own pages: future tense -(으)ㄹ 거예요 and future guess -겠-.

A yes/no question ends with a rise. A wh-question, for example 그러다가는 어떻게 될까요, does not end with a sharp rise.

A past marker before 다가는 is possible when the speaker imagines one act that has been done: 그 말을 했다가는 큰일 나요 means "If you said that, you'd be in big trouble." The main clause still looks ahead and is still bad. Past tense -았/었- is explained in full on its own page.

Commands do not belong in the main clause. A sentence like 그렇게 하다가는 쉬세요 does not work. Give the warning first and the advice next: 그렇게 하다가는 병나요. 좀 쉬세요.

The next section compares -다가는 with its neighbours.

How Is -다가는 Different from -다가?

Both look alike, and that is why learners mix them up. The difference is the meaning of the whole sentence. The same verb is told three ways.

Spoken forms: 공부하다가 잠들었어요 is [공부하다가 잠드러써요] (RR gongbuhadaga jamdeureosseoyo), and 열심히 공부하면 합격할 거예요 is [열씸히 공부하면 합껴칼꺼예요] (RR yeolsimhi gongbuhamyeon hapgyeokal geoyeyo).

The key test is the result. If the result is a past event, use -다가. If the result is a bad prediction, use -다가는. If the result can be anything, including good news, use -(으)면. Compare these two.

• 운전하다가 사고가 났어요. ("I had an accident while driving.") A past event. -다가 fits.
• 그렇게 운전하다가는 사고가 날 거예요. ("If you drive like that, you will have an accident.") A warning. -다가는 fits.

The second sentence needs "like that" (그렇게) or a similar word, because -다가는 points to a way of acting that the speaker has seen.

The next section covers set phrases and edge cases.

Variations and Edge Cases of -다가는

Set Phrases

Some forms of -다가는 appear again and again in speech. They are worth learning as chunks.

The words 이러다, 그러다 and 저러다 are short for 이렇게 하다, 그렇게 하다 and 저렇게 하다. They let a speaker point to the action without repeating it. 그러다가는 큰일 나요 means "If you go on like that, you'll be in trouble."

The Short Form -다간

In speech, 다가는 often shrinks to 다간. The meaning does not change: 그러다간 큰일 나요. The short form is casual, so keep -다가는 for writing.

Adding 계속 and 이렇게

Words such as 계속 ("continuously"), 이렇게 ("like this") and 그렇게 ("like that") make the "keeps going" idea clear: 계속 야근하다가는 건강을 잃을 수 있어요 means "If you keep working overtime, you may lose your health."

A Positive Partner

For a good outcome from a continuing action, Korean uses a different pattern: 열심히 공부하다 보면 합격할 거예요 means "If you keep studying hard, you will pass in the end." The pattern -다 보면 is the positive partner of -다가는. Another condition with a "keeps going" idea is -는 한, which means "as long as".

The next section lists the mistakes that appear most often.

What Mistakes Do Learners Make with -다가는?

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

Learners often use it for a good result. The pattern only warns. Unnatural: 열심히 공부하다가는 합격할 거예요. Right: 열심히 공부하면 합격할 거예요, or 열심히 공부하다 보면 합격할 거예요. Fix: use -(으)면 or -다 보면 for good news.

Learners often put a past event in the main clause. The main clause is a prediction. Wrong: 그렇게 먹다가는 살이 쪘어요. Right: 그렇게 먹다가 살이 쪘어요 ("I ate like that and gained weight") or 그렇게 먹다가는 살이 찔 거예요. Fix: use -다가 to report and -다가는 to warn.

Learners often put the polite ending inside. The ending attaches to the bare stem. Wrong: 먹어요다가는 살이 찔 거예요. Right: 먹다가는 살이 찔 거예요. Fix: attach 다가는 to the stem, and put 요 only on the last verb.

Learners often read -다가는 as the same as -다가. The sentence 공부하다가 잠들었어요 reports what happened, and 공부하다가는 warns about what will happen. Fix: look for the final 는. It makes the clause a warning and the result bad.

Learners often split the particle. 는 is part of the ending. Wrong: 하다가 는. Right: 하다가는. Fix: write the ending as one unit. The short form is 하다간.

The next section gives you practice.

Practice and Answers

Do the four tasks, then compare with the key.

Task 1: join the sentences with -다가는. Write one sentence for each pair.

1. 그렇게 먹어요. / 살이 찔 거예요.
2. 늦잠을 자요. / 지각할 거예요.
3. 계속 야근해요. / 건강을 잃을 수 있어요.
4. 그렇게 놀아요. / 후회할 거예요.

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

1. 열심히 공부하다가는 합격할 거예요.
2. 그렇게 먹다가는 살이 쪘어요.
3. 먹어요다가는 살이 찔 거예요.

Task 3: translate. Write in Korean: "At this rate we will be late." and "If you drive like that, you will have an accident."

Task 4: write your own. Write one warning with 계속, and one with 그러다간.

Answer key

1. (1) 그렇게 먹다가는 살이 찔 거예요. (2) 늦잠을 자다가는 지각할 거예요. (3) 계속 야근하다가는 건강을 잃을 수 있어요. (4) 그렇게 놀다가는 후회할 거예요.
2. (1) 열심히 공부하면 합격할 거예요. (2) 그렇게 먹다가는 살이 찔 거예요. (3) 먹다가는 살이 찔 거예요.
3. 이러다가는 늦겠어요. 그렇게 운전하다가는 사고가 날 거예요. Other correct versions exist, for example 이러다간 늦을 거예요 in a casual setting.
4. Sample answers: 계속 이렇게 일하다가는 병날 거예요. 그러다간 큰일 나요. Any pair is correct if the first verb ends in 다가는 and the rest warns of something bad.

If task 1 was correct, you have the formation rule. If task 2 was hard, check whether you gave a good result, used a past result, or added 요 inside. The next section points you to what comes after this lesson.

What Should You Learn after -다가는 Grammar?

After -다가는, learn -는 한 for "as long as". If you have not yet studied the base pattern, go back to -다가. For a plain condition, review -(으)면.

For a wider view, the parent page Conditions (If) lists every connector in this group. To plan by level, use Advanced Grammar.

This lesson covers -다가는 in the polite, casual and formal styles. It does not cover every written variation. About this page. Last updated 2026-10-09. Revised Romanization follows the national rules and is shown only as a learning aid.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Does -다가는 Mean?

-다가는 means "if you keep doing X" and it is used as a warning. It names an action that goes on and says that a bad result will follow. 그렇게 먹다가는 살이 찔 거예요 means "If you keep eating like that, you will gain weight." The main clause is always about something bad.

How Do I Attach -다가는 to a Verb or Adjective?

Take the verb stem, which is the dictionary form without 다, and add 다가는. 먹다 becomes 먹다가는, 하다 becomes 하다가는 and 놀다 becomes 놀다가는. Nothing changes for vowels, consonants or irregular stems. In speech 다가는 is often shortened to 다간. Adjectives are rare; the pattern is mostly for actions that continue.

Can -다가는 Be Used in the past Tense?

Not in the usual way. The main clause predicts something bad, so it is normally in the future or the guess form, such as -(으)ㄹ 거예요 or -겠어요. A past marker before 다가는 is possible for a one-time act, as in 그 말을 했다가는 큰일 나요, but a past result clause is wrong.

Is -다가는 Used in Speech or Only in Writing?

It is mainly a spoken pattern. Parents, friends and colleagues use it to warn someone, and the short form -다간 is common. It is also natural in informal writing such as messages and blogs. In formal reports, writers prefer a neutral condition such as -(으)면. The tone is direct and a little strict.

What Is the Most Common Mistake with -다가는?

Using it for a good result. 열심히 공부하다가는 합격할 거예요 sounds wrong, because the pattern only warns. Say 열심히 공부하면 합격할 거예요 or 열심히 공부하다 보면 합격할 거예요 instead. Other frequent mistakes are using a past result and confusing 다가는 with -다가.

What Is the Difference between -다가는 and -다가?

-다가 shows an action that stops and gives way to another: 공부하다가 잠들었어요 means "I fell asleep while studying." -다가는 adds 는 and turns the sentence into a warning: 공부하다가는 건강을 잃을 거예요 means "If you keep studying like this, you will lose your health." The first is a report, and the second is a prediction.

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