Key Facts
- Hangul: 따라가다 (ttaragada)
- Meaning: to follow; to go along
- Level: B1
- Part of speech: verb
- Stem: 따라가
- Conjugation class: Regular
- Grammar: The person followed takes 을/를 or 을/를 따라 (친구를 따라가다); a road is followed with 을 따라 (길을 따라 가다).
- Honorific polite: 따라가세요
- Usage: Used for people, tours and also for keeping pace in lessons (수업을 따라가다). The compound is written as one word.
What Does 따라가다 Mean?
- to follow: Used for going after a person, e.g. 엄마를 따라가다 (to follow mom).
- to go along; to keep up: Used for keeping up with a class or pace, e.g. 수업을 따라가다.
따라가다 has two main meanings. The first is to follow: go after a person. 엄마를 따라가다 is to follow mom, and the person followed takes 을/를. A road is followed with 을 따라. The second is to go along or keep up. 수업을 따라가다 means to keep up with the lessons, and it describes pace, not distance.
The tone is neutral and friendly. 쫓다, by contrast, is to chase or drive away. The compound is written as one word, and it is common with tours, groups and school.
Which Set Phrases Use 따라가다?
- 엄마를 따라가다: To follow mom; the person followed takes 를.
- 친구를 따라가다: To go along with a friend.
- 수업을 따라가다: To keep up with the class.
How Do You Pronounce 따라가다?
따라가다 is read as spelled, with the tensed ㄸ at the start. The past 따라갔어요 is [따라가써요] and the formal 따라갑니다 is [따라감니다]. The future 따라갈 거예요 is [따라갈꺼예요].
How Do You Use 따라가다 in a Sentence?
아이가 엄마를 따라가요.
The child follows its mother.
아이가 is the child, and 엄마를 is the person followed. The polite present fits a scene you can see.
저도 친구를 따라갔어요.
I went along with my friend too.
저도 includes the speaker: 'I too'. 친구를 따라갔어요 says the speaker went along because a friend was going.
수업을 따라가고 싶어요.
I want to keep up with the class.
수업을 is the thing kept up with, and the want form 따라가고 싶어요 says the speaker hopes to manage the pace of the class.
How Does Ttaragada Conjugation Work?
따라가다 is regular. 따라가 ends in ㅏ, and 아 merges into it: 따라가요 and 따라갔어요. The want form 따라가고 싶어요 and the formal 따라갑니다 attach to the whole stem.
따라가다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 따라가요 | ||
| Polite past | 따라갔어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 따라갈 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 따라가겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 따라갑니다 | ||
| Formal past | 따라갔습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 따라갈 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 따라가 | ||
| Casual past | 따라갔어 | ||
| Casual future | 따라갈 거야 | ||
| Want to (polite) | 따라가고 싶어요 | ||
| Honorific polite | 따라가세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 따라가서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 따라가면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 따라가는 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 따라간 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 따라갈 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 따라가요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 따라가지 않아요 |
Sound Changes
| Form | Korean | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Polite past | 따라갔어요 | [따라가써요] |
| Polite future | 따라갈 거예요 | [따라갈꺼예요] |
| Polite future guess | 따라가겠어요 | [따라가게써요] |
| Formal present | 따라갑니다 | [따라감니다] |
| Formal past | 따라갔습니다 | [따라갇씀니다] |
| Formal future | 따라갈 것입니다 | [따라갈꺼심니다] |
| Casual past | 따라갔어 | [따라가써] |
| Casual future | 따라갈 거야 | [따라갈꺼야] |
| Long negative | 따라가지 않아요 | [따라가지 아나요] |
Common Mistake with 따라가다
Wrong: ✗ 친구에게 따라가요.
Correct: ✓ 친구를 따라가요.
Why: The person you follow takes 을/를, not 에게. 에게 would mark the person you give something to, which is not what following is.
What Is Easy to Confuse with 따라가다?
| Word | How to tell it from 따라가다 |
|---|---|
| 따라오다 | 따라오다 is following toward the speaker; 따라가다 is following away from the speaker. |
| 쫓다 | 쫓다 is to chase or drive away; 따라가다 is a neutral, friendly following. |
At a Palace Tour: Join the Group
Two visitors have lost sight of their tour group. Mina identifies the guide; Alex decides to follow. The final question checks what happened yesterday.
Mina
저기 안내원이 있어요.
Jeogi annaewoni isseoyo.
There is the guide over there.
Alex
저 안내원을 따라갈 거예요.
Jeo annaewoneul ttaragal geoyeyo.
I’m going to follow that guide.
Mina
저도 따라가요.
Jeodo ttaragayo.
I’m coming along too.
Alex
어제도 이 안내원을 따라갔어요?
Eojedo i annaewoneul ttaragasseoyo?
Did you follow this guide yesterday too?
The future 따라갈 거예요 announces a plan, 따라가요 describes joining in now, and 따라갔어요 asks about a completed visit. 저 안내원 means “that guide”; the final 를 marks the person being followed. 저도 means “me too”, so Mina can leave out the guide already mentioned.
A guide addressing visitors would normally choose 따라오다 to ask them to come along toward the guide’s position. Visitors describing their own movement after the guide use 따라가다. Decide where the speaker is standing before translating English “follow me” or “follow them”.
Following a Person, a Route, or a Lesson
친구를 따라가다 usually means going after a friend or accompanying them as they go somewhere. It does not by itself mean copying the friend’s clothes, accent or habits. For imitation, 따라 하다 is a useful separate expression. The word after “follow” in English therefore matters: following a person through a station and following someone’s example are different tasks.
길을 따라 가다 describes going along a road. Here 따라 tells you the route and 가다 supplies the movement. In the compound 친구를 따라가다, the whole verb means following someone. Keep 따라가다 together when using the headword; recognize the separate route expression when you meet it in directions.
수업을 따라가다 transfers the movement image to learning: the class progresses and you try to keep pace. The learner may be sitting still. 진도를 따라가다 similarly concerns keeping up with progress through course material. Neither phrase means physically walking behind a teacher.
Where Will You Hear 따라가다?
On a group outing, 따라가요 may explain why someone is leaving with the others. It does not promise that they know the destination. In a school conversation, 수업을 따라가다 concerns understanding and pace. Listen for the object first: a person suggests movement, while 수업 suggests managing the lesson.
따라가세요 can direct someone to follow another person. The polite ending softens the instruction, but the direction still matters: telling a visitor to follow a colleague walking away suits 따라가세요. Asking the visitor to follow you toward your own position usually calls for 따라오세요.
Useful Words for Following Directions
| Korean | Meaning | Useful connection |
|---|---|---|
| 안내원 | guide | The person visitors follow through a site. |
| 일행 | companions; party | The people traveling together, rather than the guide. |
| 길 | road; path | A route you can go along. |
| 진도 | progress through material | Explains the figurative “keep up” sense in a class. |
The directions and position vocabulary lesson teaches route words. Use those words to specify where a group goes; 따라가다 alone only tells you that someone goes after them.
Keep the Full Stem When Adding an Ending
The stem is 따라가, not 따라. The final 가 controls the present and past forms, just as in 가다. The present modifier 따라가는 describes a person who follows; 따라간 refers to someone who followed. In 따라가고 싶어요, 고 attaches to the full stem and 싶어요 is written separately. These are changes to the ending, without an irregular stem change.
Mini Drill: Choose the Right Form
- Change 따라가요 to the polite past.
- Complete “the person who follows”: ____ 사람.
- Choose the particle: 안내원____ 따라가요.
- Say “I do not follow” with 안.
Show drill answers
- 따라갔어요.
- 따라가는 사람.
- 안내원을 따라가요.
- 안 따라가요, with a space after 안.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 수업을 따라가다 require physical movement?
- Which direction word suits following toward the speaker: 따라가다 or 따라오다?
- What is the stem of 따라가다?
Show answers
- No. It means keeping up with the class.
- 따라오다.
- 따라가. Keep the final 가 when attaching endings.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the Polite Present of 따라가다?
따라가요.
Which Particle Marks the Person I Follow?
Use 을/를: 친구를 따라가요.
How Is 따라가다 Different from 따라오다?
따라가다 is following away from the speaker. 따라오다 is following toward the speaker.
Can 따라가다 Mean 'Keep Up'?
Yes. 수업을 따라가다 means to keep up with a class.
Which Words Are Related to 따라가다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Pair 따라가다 with 따라오다 for the speaker's viewpoint, and with 찾아가다 or 데려가다 for visiting and taking someone along. Then look at 가다 itself in the verb dictionary. For the rule behind these forms, read how ㅏ stems drop a vowel, then try another stem in the Korean verb conjugator or browse the Korean verb dictionary.