-(으)ㄹ 걸 (그랬다) - Should have

-(으)ㄹ 걸 (그랬다) expresses regret about past actions or decisions. It means "should have [verb]" or "I wish I had [verb]" and conveys that you regret not doing something or regret doing something.

Structure

Verb stem + -(으)ㄹ 걸 (그랬다)

Breakdown:

• -(으)ㄹ 걸: Should have (regret marker)
• 그랬다: Optional - did so (often omitted in speech)

Literal meaning: "It would have been [verb]..." → "Should have [verb]"

Basic Forms

Consonant-ending Stems: -을 걸

Stems ending in consonant: -을 걸

• 먹다 → 먹을 걸 (그랬어요) (should have eaten)
• 읽다 → 읽을 걸 (그랬어요) (should have read)
• 듣다 → 들을 걸 (그랬어요) (should have listened)
• 받다 → 받을 걸 (그랬어요) (should have received)

Vowel-ending Stems: -ㄹ 걸

Stems ending in vowel: -ㄹ 걸

• 가다 → 갈 걸 (그랬어요) (should have gone)
• 오다 → 올 걸 (그랬어요) (should have come)
• 하다 → 할 걸 (그랬어요) (should have done)
• 사다 → 살 걸 (그랬어요) (should have bought)

ㄹ-ending Stems: -ㄹ 걸

Stems ending in ㄹ: Drop one ㄹ + -ㄹ 걸

• 만들다 → 만들 걸 (그랬어요) (should have made)
• 살다 → 살 걸 (그랬어요) (should have lived)
• 팔다 → 팔 걸 (그랬어요) (should have sold)

Usage Without 그랬다

Short Form (More Common)

Just -(으)ㄹ 걸:

• 갈 걸... (Should have gone...)
• 먹을 걸... (Should have eaten...)
• 할 걸... (Should have done...)

This is the most natural form in conversational Korean

With 그랬다

Full form:

• 갈 걸 그랬어요 (Should have gone)
• 먹을 걸 그랬어요 (Should have eaten)
• 할 걸 그랬어요 (Should have done)

More emphatic or when explicitly stating the regret

Conjugation

Informal/Casual

• 갈 걸... (Should have gone...)
• 먹을 걸... (Should have eaten...)

Polite

• 갈 걸 그랬어요 (Should have gone)
• 먹을 걸 그랬어요 (Should have eaten)

Formal

• 갈 걸 그랬습니다 (Should have gone)
• 먹을 걸 그랬습니다 (Should have eaten)

Core Meaning: Regret About Past

Things You Didn't Do

Regretting not doing something:

• 공부할 걸 그랬어요 (Should have studied)
• 물어볼 걸 그랬어요 (Should have asked)
• 더 일찍 올 걸 그랬어요 (Should have come earlier)
• 그냥 갈 걸 그랬어요 (Should have just gone)

Things You Did

Combined with negative to regret doing:

• 안 갈 걸 그랬어요 (Shouldn't have gone)
• 안 먹을 걸 그랬어요 (Shouldn't have eaten)
• 안 살 걸 그랬어요 (Shouldn't have bought)
• 안 말할 걸 그랬어요 (Shouldn't have said)

Common Usage Patterns

Missed Opportunities

Things you wish you had done:

• 그때 살 걸 그랬어요 (Should have bought it then)
• 그 일 할 걸 그랬어요 (Should have done that job)
• 기회를 잡을 걸 그랬어요 (Should have seized the opportunity)

Poor Decisions

Regretting choices made:

• 안 갈 걸 그랬어요 (Shouldn't have gone)
• 안 먹을 걸 그랬어요 (Shouldn't have eaten)
• 다른 걸 살 걸 그랬어요 (Should have bought something else)

Advice Not Taken

Wishing you had listened:

• 말을 들을 걸 그랬어요 (Should have listened)
• 충고를 받아들일 걸 그랬어요 (Should have accepted the advice)

Preparation Regrets

Things you should have prepared:

• 미리 준비할 걸 그랬어요 (Should have prepared in advance)
• 더 공부할 걸 그랬어요 (Should have studied more)
• 예약할 걸 그랬어요 (Should have made a reservation)

Expressing Degree

With 더 (More)

Should have done more:

• 더 먹을 걸 (Should have eaten more)
• 더 살 걸 (Should have bought more)
• 더 일찍 올 걸 (Should have come earlier)

With 미리 (In advance)

Should have done beforehand:

• 미리 알려줄 걸 (Should have let you know in advance)
• 미리 준비할 걸 (Should have prepared beforehand)

With 그냥 (Just)

Should have just done it:

• 그냥 갈 걸 (Should have just gone)
• 그냥 할 걸 (Should have just done it)
• 그냥 사 버릴 걸 (Should have just bought it)

Negative Forms

Shouldn't Have (Regret About Doing)

안 + -(으)ㄴ 걸:

• 안 갈 걸 (Shouldn't have gone)
• 안 먹을 걸 (Shouldn't have eaten)
• 안 살 걸 (Shouldn't have bought)
• 안 말할 걸 (Shouldn't have said)

Alternative Negative

-지 말 걸 (less common):

• 가지 말 걸 (Shouldn't have gone)
• 먹지 말 걸 (Shouldn't have eaten)

Common Expressions

Daily Regrets

• 택시 탈 걸 그랬어요 (Should have taken a taxi)
• 우산 가져올 걸 그랬어요 (Should have brought an umbrella)
• 물어볼 걸 그랬어요 (Should have asked)
• 확인할 걸 그랬어요 (Should have checked)

Food/Eating

• 더 먹을 걸 (Should have eaten more)
• 안 먹을 걸 (Shouldn't have eaten)
• 다른 거 시킬 걸 (Should have ordered something else)

Shopping

• 살 걸 그랬어요 (Should have bought it)
• 안 살 걸 그랬어요 (Shouldn't have bought it)
• 더 살 걸 (Should have bought more)

Social Situations

• 갈 걸 그랬어요 (Should have gone)
• 안 갈 걸 그랬어요 (Shouldn't have gone)
• 같이 갈 걸 (Should have gone together)

Study/Work

• 더 공부할 걸 (Should have studied more)
• 열심히 할 걸 (Should have worked hard)
• 준비할 걸 그랬어요 (Should have prepared)

Variations in Speech

Very Casual

Just -(으)ㄹ 걸:

• 갈 걸... (Should've gone...)
• 먹을 걸... (Should've eaten...)

Adding 그랬는데

More conversational:

• 갈 걸 그랬는데... (Should have gone, but...)
• 먹을 걸 그랬는데... (Should have eaten, but...)

With Trailing Off

Ellipsis for effect:

• 미리 말할 걸... (Should have said beforehand...)
• 준비할 걸... (Should have prepared...)

Contextual Usage

When Things Go Wrong

Expressing regret after bad outcome:

• 날씨 확인할 걸 그랬어요 (Should have checked the weather)
• 미리 예약할 걸 그랬어요 (Should have reserved in advance)

When Missing Out

Regretting missed opportunities:

• 그때 살 걸 그랬어요 (Should have bought it then)
• 기회를 잡을 걸 그랬어요 (Should have seized the chance)

After Hearing News

Wishing you had known:

• 미리 알았으면 갈 걸 그랬어요 (If I'd known, I should have gone)
• 물어볼 걸 그랬어요 (Should have asked)

Comparison with Other Patterns

-(으)ㄹ 걸 vs -았/었어야 했다

-(으)ㄹ 걸: Softer regret, wishing

• 갈 걸 (Should have gone - wish)

-았/었어야 했다: Stronger obligation

• 갔어야 했어요 (Should have gone - duty/obligation)

-(으)ㄹ 걸 vs -(으)ㄹ 텐데

-(으)ㄹ 걸: Regret about past

• 갈 걸 (Should have gone)

-(으)ㄹ 텐데: Conjecture/if only

• 갈 텐데 (Would have gone / If only I could go)

Tense Consideration

Always About Past

-(으)ㄹ 걸 is always retrospective:

• ✅ 어제 갈 걸 그랬어요 (Should have gone yesterday)
• ❌ 내일 갈 걸 그랬어요 (Doesn't make sense)

Combined with Past Context

• 그때 먹을 걸 그랬어요 (Should have eaten then)
• 미리 준비할 걸 그랬어요 (Should have prepared beforehand)

Honorific Considerations

Subject Honorifics

When subject is respected person:

• 가실 걸 그랬어요 (You [hon.] should have gone)
• 드실 걸 그랬어요 (You [hon.] should have eaten)

Common Mistakes

❌ Incorrect: 갔을 걸 그랬어요

Using past tense before -(으)ㄹ 걸

✅ Correct: 갈 걸 그랬어요

Use future modifier form

---

❌ Incorrect: 가을 걸 그랬어요

Wrong vowel

✅ Correct: 갈 걸 그랬어요

Use ㄹ for vowel stems

---

❌ Incorrect: 내일 갈 걸 그랬어요

Using with future time

✅ Correct: Only use for past regret

-(으)ㄹ 걸 is only for past regrets

Summary Table

Stem Type	Form	Example	Meaning
Consonant	-을 걸	먹을 걸 (그랬어요)	Should have eaten
Vowel	-ㄹ 걸	갈 걸 (그랬어요)	Should have gone
ㄹ-ending	-ㄹ 걸	만들 걸 (그랬어요)	Should have made
하다	-할 걸	공부할 걸 (그랬어요)	Should have studied
Negative	안 -을/ㄹ 걸	안 갈 걸 (그랬어요)	Shouldn't have gone
With 더	더 -을/ㄹ 걸	더 먹을 걸	Should have eaten more
With 미리	미리 -을/ㄹ 걸	미리 올 걸	Should have come earlier