-아/어 가다 expresses gradual progression or change moving forward from the present into the future. It means "gradually," "more and more," or describes a process that continues developing.
Structure
Verb stem + -아/어 가다
Breakdown:
- -아/어: Connective ending (vowel harmony)
- 가다: To go
- Literal meaning: "Go doing..." → "Gradually [verb]" / "Continue to [verb]"
Key concept: Progressive change moving FORWARD in time
Vowel Harmony Rules
Bright Vowels (ㅏ, ㅗ): -아 가다
Last vowel is ㅏ or ㅗ:
- 좋다 → 좋아 가다 (get better gradually)
- 늦다 → 늦어 가다 (get later gradually)
- 자다 → 자 가다 (gradually fall asleep)
Dark Vowels: -어 가다
Last vowel is NOT ㅏ or ㅗ:
- 커지다 → 커져 가다 (grow gradually)
- 나빠지다 → 나빠져 가다 (get worse gradually)
- 익다 → 익어 가다 (ripen gradually)
하다 Verbs: -해 가다
All 하다 verbs:
- 변하다 → 변해 가다 (change gradually)
- 발전하다 → 발전해 가다 (develop gradually)
- 준비하다 → 준비해 가다 (prepare gradually)
Core Meaning: Forward Progression
Gradual Change Forward
Process moving into the future:
- 날씨가 추워져 가요 (The weather is getting colder - going into winter)
- 한국어가 좋아져 가요 (My Korean is getting better - improving)
- 봄이 다가와 가요 (Spring is approaching - coming forward)
- 해가 저물어 가요 (The sun is setting - day ending)
Perspective: From now → future
Ongoing Development
Continuous progression:
- 점점 이해해 가요 (I'm gradually understanding)
- 실력이 늘어 가요 (My skills are increasing)
- 관계가 나빠져 가요 (The relationship is worsening)
Common Usage Patterns
Time Passing
Temporal progression:
- 시간이 흘러 가요 (Time is passing)
- 하루가 저물어 가요 (The day is ending)
- 계절이 바뀌어 가요 (The seasons are changing)
- 해가 지나가 가요 (The year is passing)
Physical Changes
Observable progression:
- 키가 커져 가요 (Growing taller)
- 머리가 길어져 가요 (Hair is getting longer)
- 살이 빠져 가요 (Losing weight gradually)
- 익어 가요 (Ripening/Cooking gradually)
Skill Development
Improving abilities:
- 실력이 늘어 가요 (Skills are improving)
- 한국어를 배워 가요 (Learning Korean progressively)
- 적응해 가요 (Adapting gradually)
- 발전해 가요 (Developing/Progressing)
Tense Conjugations
Present Tense
Polite: -아/어 가요
- 좋아져 가요 (is getting better)
- 변해 가요 (is changing)
- 늘어 가요 (is increasing)
Past Tense
Polite: -아/어 갔어요
- 좋아져 갔어요 (was getting better)
- 변해 갔어요 (was changing)
- 늘어 갔어요 (was increasing)
Note: Past tense less common, usually present continuous
Future Tense
Polite: -아/어 갈 거예요
- 좋아져 갈 거예요 (will be getting better)
- 변해 갈 거예요 (will be changing)
-아/어 가다 vs -아/어 오다
Direction of Change
-아/어 가다: Forward progression (now → future)
- 추워져 가요 (getting colder - going into winter)
- 어두워져 가요 (getting darker - toward night)
-아/어 오다: Backward perspective (past → now)
- 추워져 왔어요 (has been getting colder - up to now)
- 어두워져 왔어요 (has been getting darker - up to now)
Time Perspective
-아/어 가다: What will continue
- 계속 좋아져 갈 거예요 (will continue to get better)
-아/어 오다: What has been happening
- 계속 좋아져 왔어요 (has been getting better)
Common Expressions
Weather and Seasons
- 날씨가 추워져 가요 (The weather is getting colder)
- 날씨가 더워져 가요 (The weather is getting hotter)
- 봄이 다가와 가요 (Spring is approaching)
- 겨울이 가까워져 가요 (Winter is getting closer)
Time of Day
- 해가 저물어 가요 (The sun is setting)
- 밤이 깊어져 가요 (The night is deepening)
- 어두워져 가요 (It's getting dark)
- 밝아져 가요 (It's getting bright)
Personal Growth
- 성장해 가요 (Growing/Developing)
- 발전해 가요 (Progressing)
- 나아져 가요 (Getting better/Improving)
- 익숙해져 가요 (Getting used to it)
- 적응해 가요 (Adapting)
Deterioration
- 나빠져 가요 (Getting worse)
- 약해져 가요 (Getting weaker)
- 늙어 가요 (Getting old)
- 지쳐 가요 (Getting tired/Exhausted)
With Adverbs
점점 (Gradually/More and more)
Emphasizing progression:
- 점점 좋아져 가요 (Getting better and better)
- 점점 어려워져 가요 (Getting harder and harder)
- 점점 익숙해져 가요 (Getting more and more used to it)
계속 (Continuously)
Ongoing process:
- 계속 발전해 가요 (Continuing to develop)
- 계속 나아져 가요 (Continuing to improve)
조금씩 (Little by little)
Incremental change:
- 조금씩 좋아져 가요 (Getting better little by little)
- 조금씩 배워 가요 (Learning bit by bit)
Politeness Levels
Formal (합니다체)
- 좋아져 갑니다 (is getting better)
- 변해 갑니다 (is changing)
Polite (해요체)
- 좋아져 가요 (is getting better)
- 변해 가요 (is changing)
Casual (반말)
- 좋아져 가 (is getting better)
- 변해 가 (is changing)
Negative Forms
Not Progressing
안 -아/어 가다:
- 안 좋아져 가요 (is not getting better)
- 안 변해 가요 (is not changing)
-아/어 가지 않다:
- 좋아져 가지 않아요 (is not getting better)
Question Forms
Asking About Progression
Is it changing?:
- 좋아져 가요? (Is it getting better?)
- 어떻게 되어 가요? (How is it going/progressing?)
- 잘 되어 가요? (Is it going well?)
Progress Check
How is the process?:
- 준비가 어떻게 되어 가요? (How is the preparation going?)
- 일이 어떻게 되어 가요? (How is the work progressing?)
Special Usage
Life Processes
Natural progression:
- 나이를 먹어 가요 (Getting older)
- 어른이 되어 가요 (Becoming an adult)
- 가족을 이루어 가요 (Building a family)
Abstract Changes
Intangible progression:
- 희망이 사라져 가요 (Hope is disappearing)
- 기억이 흐려져 가요 (Memories are fading)
- 마음이 변해 가요 (Feelings are changing)
Perspective and Usage
When to Use -아/어 가다
Use when:
- Describing ongoing change toward the future
- Emphasizing forward progression
- Showing gradual development
- Talking about processes in progress
Focus:
- Future-oriented
- Progressive aspect
- Gradual nature of change
Nuance Difference
Simple present: State or habitual action
- 좋아요 (It's good)
-아/어 가다: Progressive change
- 좋아져 가요 (It's getting better - ongoing)
Summary Table
| Verb | -아/어 가다 Form | Meaning | Present |
|---|---|---|---|
| 좋아지다 | 좋아져 가다 | Get better gradually | 좋아져 가요 |
| 커지다 | 커져 가다 | Grow gradually | 커져 가요 |
| 변하다 | 변해 가다 | Change gradually | 변해 가요 |
| 익다 | 익어 가다 | Ripen gradually | 익어 가요 |
| 나빠지다 | 나빠져 가다 | Get worse gradually | 나빠져 가요 |
Key Takeaways
- ✅ Forward progression: Change moving into the future
- ✅ Gradual change: Emphasizes process over result
- ✅ Present tense common: Describes ongoing processes
- ✅ Pairs with -아/어 오다: Opposite time perspective
- ✅ Natural processes: Weather, time, growth
- ✅ With adverbs: 점점, 계속, 조금씩 for emphasis
-아/어 가다 is essential for describing progressive changes and ongoing processes that develop forward in time, making it crucial for talking about development, growth, and gradual transformation in Korean.