-아/어 오다 expresses "have been doing" or continuation of an action from the past until now. It indicates that an action or state has been ongoing and continues into the present. The literal meaning involves "coming" (오다), suggesting the action has "come" from the past to the present.
Structure
Verb stem + -아/어 오다
Breakdown:
- -아/어: Connective ending (vowel harmony)
- 오다: To come
Literal meaning: "Do and come..." → "Have been doing (up to now)"
Vowel Harmony Rules
Bright Vowels (ㅏ, ㅗ): -아 오다
Last vowel is ㅏ or ㅗ:
- 살다 → 살아 오다 (have been living)
- 알다 → 알아 오다 (have been knowing)
- 만들다 → 만들어 오다... wait, 만들다 has ㅡ, so -어 오다
- 오다 → 와 오다 (have been coming - rare usage)
Dark Vowels: -어 오다
Last vowel is NOT ㅏ or ㅗ:
- 먹다 → 먹어 오다 (have been eating)
- 배우다 → 배워 오다 (have been learning)
- 지키다 → 지켜 오다 (have been keeping/protecting)
- 믿다 → 믿어 오다 (have been believing)
- 살다 → 살아 오다 (have been living)
하다 Verbs: -해 오다
All 하다 verbs:
- 하다 → 해 오다 (have been doing)
- 공부하다 → 공부해 오다 (have been studying)
- 노력하다 → 노력해 오다 (have been making effort)
- 발전하다 → 발전해 오다 (have been developing)
Core Meaning: Continuation from Past
Have Been Doing
Action continuing from past to present:
- 10년 동안 한국어를 공부해 왔어요 (I've been studying Korean for 10 years)
- 이 회사에서 일해 왔어요 (I've been working at this company)
- 계속 연락해 왔어요 (I've been contacting [them] continuously)
- 오랫동안 기다려 왔어요 (I've been waiting for a long time)
Ongoing State or Habit
Continued situation:
- 서울에 살아 왔어요 (I've been living in Seoul)
- 매일 운동해 왔어요 (I've been exercising every day)
- 항상 그렇게 믿어 왔어요 (I've always believed that way)
- 전통을 지켜 왔어요 (We've been maintaining the tradition)
Politeness Levels
Formal (합니다체)
- 공부해 왔습니다 (have been studying)
- 노력해 왔습니다 (have been making effort)
- 발전해 왔습니다 (have been developing)
Polite (해요체)
- 공부해 왔어요 (have been studying)
- 노력해 왔어요 (have been making effort)
- 발전해 왔어요 (have been developing)
Casual (반말)
- 공부해 왔어 (have been studying)
- 노력해 왔어 (have been making effort)
- 발전해 왔어 (have been developing)
Tense Conjugations
Present Perfect Continuous
Polite: -아/어 왔어요
- 공부해 왔어요 (have been studying)
- 노력해 왔어요 (have been making effort)
- 기다려 왔어요 (have been waiting)
Past Perfect Continuous
Polite: -아/어 왔었어요
- 공부해 왔었어요 (had been studying)
- 노력해 왔었어요 (had been making effort)
- 기다려 왔었어요 (had been waiting)
Note: Emphasizes discontinued past continuation
Future Continuous (Less Common)
Will continue: -아/어 올 거예요
- 공부해 올 거예요 (will have been studying / will continue)
- 노력해 올 거예요 (will continue making effort)
Note: More naturally expressed with -을/를 것이다 or -겠다
Common Usage Patterns
Duration Emphasis
With time expressions:
- 10년 동안 공부해 왔어요 (have been studying for 10 years)
- 오랫동안 기다려 왔어요 (have been waiting for a long time)
- 지금까지 노력해 왔어요 (have been making effort until now)
- 수년간 연구해 왔습니다 (have been researching for several years)
Traditions and Customs
Long-standing practices:
- 이 전통을 지켜 왔어요 (We've been keeping this tradition)
- 이렇게 해 왔어요 (We've been doing it this way)
- 대대로 이어져 왔어요 (It's been passed down through generations)
- 옛날부터 믿어 왔어요 (We've believed since ancient times)
Personal Experience
Ongoing experiences:
- 서울에 살아 왔어요 (I've been living in Seoul)
- 이 회사에서 일해 왔어요 (I've been working at this company)
- 한국 문화를 배워 왔어요 (I've been learning Korean culture)
- 건강을 관리해 왔어요 (I've been managing my health)
Development and Progress
Continued development:
- 발전해 왔어요 (have been developing)
- 성장해 왔어요 (have been growing)
- 변화해 왔어요 (have been changing)
- 개선해 왔어요 (have been improving)
Common Expressions
Time-Related
- 지금까지 (until now / up to now)
- 오랫동안 (for a long time)
- 계속 (continuously)
- 항상 (always)
- 꾸준히 (steadily)
Work and Study
- 공부해 왔어요 (have been studying)
- 일해 왔어요 (have been working)
- 노력해 왔어요 (have been making effort)
- 연구해 왔어요 (have been researching)
- 준비해 왔어요 (have been preparing)
Relationships and Interaction
- 연락해 왔어요 (have been contacting)
- 기다려 왔어요 (have been waiting)
- 믿어 왔어요 (have been believing/trusting)
- 사랑해 왔어요 (have been loving)
Living and Being
- 살아 왔어요 (have been living)
- 지내 왔어요 (have been getting along/living)
- 있어 왔어요 (have been existing)
Negative Forms
Haven't Been Doing
안 -아/어 오다:
- 안 공부해 왔어요 (haven't been studying)
- 안 노력해 왔어요 (haven't been making effort)
-아/어 오지 않다:
- 공부해 오지 않았어요 (haven't been studying)
- 노력해 오지 않았어요 (haven't been making effort)
Couldn't Have Been Doing
못 -아/어 오다:
- 못 공부해 왔어요 (couldn't have been studying)
- 못 연락해 왔어요 (couldn't have been contacting)
Question Forms
Asking About Duration
How long have you been...?:
- 얼마나 오래 공부해 왔어요? (How long have you been studying?)
- 언제부터 일해 왔어요? (Since when have you been working?)
- 몇 년 동안 살아 왔어요? (How many years have you been living [there]?)
Confirming Continuation
Have you been...?:
- 계속 연락해 왔어요? (Have you been contacting [them] continuously?)
- 꾸준히 운동해 왔어요? (Have you been exercising steadily?)
Related Pattern: -아/어 가다
Opposite Direction: Continuation into Future
-아/어 가다: Will continue / be going (forward)
Difference:
- -아/어 오다: From past to now (have been doing)
- 10년 동안 공부해 왔어요 (have been studying for 10 years - up to now)
- -아/어 가다: From now into future (will continue)
- 앞으로도 공부해 갈 거예요 (will continue studying from now on)
Both can combine:
- 지금까지 노력해 왔고, 앞으로도 노력해 갈 거예요 (I've been making effort until now, and will continue making effort)
With Time Expressions
Common Time Markers
Past to present:
- 지금까지 (until now)
- 지금까지 기다려 왔어요 (have been waiting until now)
- 오랫동안 (for a long time)
- 오랫동안 준비해 왔어요 (have been preparing for a long time)
- ~ 동안 (for [duration])
- 10년 동안 일해 왔어요 (have been working for 10 years)
- ~부터 (since)
- 어렸을 때부터 배워 왔어요 (have been learning since childhood)
Emphasis on Process
Continuous Effort
Highlighting ongoing commitment:
- 열심히 공부해 왔어요 (have been studying hard)
- 꾸준히 노력해 왔어요 (have been making steady effort)
- 계속 발전해 왔어요 (have been continuously developing)
- 항상 지켜 왔어요 (have always been keeping/protecting)
Historical/Traditional Context
Long-standing situations:
- 우리나라는 평화를 추구해 왔습니다 (Our country has been pursuing peace)
- 이 전통은 수백 년 동안 이어져 왔어요 (This tradition has continued for hundreds of years)
- 옛날부터 그렇게 믿어 왔어요 (We've believed that way since ancient times)
Perspective and Usage
When to Use -아/어 오다
Use when:
- Emphasizing duration from past to present
- Showing persistence or continuation
- Describing long-standing habits or situations
- Highlighting ongoing traditions or practices
Emphasis:
- Focus on the journey from past to now
- Often implies dedication or consistency
- Common in narratives about experience or history
-아/어 오다 vs -고 있다
Compare:
- -고 있다: Currently doing (present progressive)
- 지금 공부하고 있어요 (I'm studying now)
- -아/어 오다: Have been doing (perfect continuous)
- 3년 동안 공부해 왔어요 (I've been studying for 3 years)
Both can be combined:
- 지금까지 공부해 왔고, 지금도 공부하고 있어요 (I've been studying until now, and I'm still studying)
Summary Table
| Verb | -아/어 오다 Form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 공부하다 | 공부해 왔어요 | Have been studying |
| 일하다 | 일해 왔어요 | Have been working |
| 살다 | 살아 왔어요 | Have been living |
| 노력하다 | 노력해 왔어요 | Have been making effort |
| 기다리다 | 기다려 왔어요 | Have been waiting |
| 발전하다 | 발전해 왔어요 | Have been developing |
Key Takeaways
- ✅ Perfect continuous: "Have been doing" from past to present
- ✅ Vowel harmony: -아/-어/-해 오다
- ✅ Emphasizes duration: Often with time expressions
- ✅ Shows persistence: Ongoing effort or state
- ✅ Different from -아/어 가다: 오다 = to now, 가다 = into future
- ✅ Common in narratives: Personal history, traditions, development
-아/어 오다 is essential for expressing actions or states that have continued from the past up to the present moment, emphasizing duration, persistence, and continuity. It's particularly useful when discussing experience, traditions, and ongoing commitments.