-곤 하다 - Used to

-곤 하다 expresses habitual or repeated actions in the past, meaning "used to" or "would often."

Structure

Verb stem + -곤 하다

Meaning: "Used to [verb]" / "Would often [verb]" / "[verb] regularly in the past"

Formation

All Verbs: -곤 하다

Stem + -곤 하다:

• 가다 → 가곤 했다 (used to go)
• 먹다 → 먹곤 했다 (used to eat)
• 보다 → 보곤 했다 (used to watch)
• 놀다 → 놀곤 했다 (used to play)
• 만나다 → 만나곤 했다 (used to meet)

Usually Past Tense

-곤 했다 most common:

• Past habitual action
• Used to do regularly
• Would often do

Core Meaning

Habitual Past Actions

Repeated actions in the past:

• 어렸을 때 공원에 가곤 했어요 (I used to go to the park when I was young)
• 매일 운동하곤 했어요 (I used to exercise every day)

No Longer True

Implies action stopped or changed:

• Used to do but don't anymore
• Past habit that's discontinued
• Nostalgic or reflective tone

Regular Repetition

Not just once, but repeatedly:

• Emphasizes habitual nature
• Regular occurrence in past
• Pattern of behavior

Conjugation

Past Tense: -곤 했다

Most common form:

• 가곤 했어요 (used to go)
• 먹곤 했어요 (used to eat)
• 만나곤 했어요 (used to meet)

Present: -곤 하다

Rare, but possible for ongoing habits:

• 지금도 가곤 해요 (Still go sometimes)
• Less common than past

Past Perfect: -곤 했었다

Emphasizing distant past:

• 가곤 했었어요 (used to go - long ago)
• More nostalgic

Politeness Levels

Formal (합니다체)

• 가곤 했습니다 (used to go)
• 먹곤 했습니다 (used to eat)

Polite (해요체)

• 가곤 했어요 (used to go)
• 먹곤 했어요 (used to eat)

Casual (반말)

• 가곤 했어 (used to go)
• 먹곤 했어 (used to eat)

Common Time References

With Past Time Markers

어렸을 때 (when young):

• 어렸을 때 놀곤 했어요 (Used to play when young)

학창 시절에 (during school days):

• 학창 시절에 공부하곤 했어요 (Used to study during school)

그때 (at that time):

• 그때 자주 가곤 했어요 (Used to go often at that time)

예전에 (in the past):

• 예전에 만나곤 했어요 (Used to meet in the past)

Common Patterns

자주 -곤 하다

Would often:

• 자주 가곤 했어요 (Would often go)
• 자주 만나곤 했어요 (Would often meet)

매일 -곤 하다

Every day used to:

• 매일 운동하곤 했어요 (Used to exercise every day)
• 매일 전화하곤 했어요 (Used to call every day)

항상 -곤 하다

Always used to:

• 항상 그렇게 하곤 했어요 (Always used to do it that way)

Nostalgic Usage

Reminiscing

Looking back fondly:

• 함께 영화 보곤 했는데... (We used to watch movies together...)
• 그곳에 자주 가곤 했어요 (I used to go there often)

Contrasting Past and Present

How things have changed:

• 예전에는 자주 만나곤 했는데 요즘은 못 만나요 (We used to meet often, but can't meet these days)

Common Verbs Used

Daily Activities

• 산책하곤 했다 (used to take walks)
• 운동하곤 했다 (used to exercise)
• 읽곤 했다 (used to read)
• 쓰곤 했다 (used to write)

Social Activities

• 만나곤 했다 (used to meet)
• 이야기하곤 했다 (used to talk)
• 놀곤 했다 (used to play/hang out)
• 전화하곤 했다 (used to call)

Places

• 가곤 했다 (used to go)
• 다니곤 했다 (used to attend/visit)
• 머물곤 했다 (used to stay)

Negative Forms

안 -곤 하다

Didn't use to:

• 안 가곤 했어요 (Didn't used to go)
• Less common pattern

-지 않곤 하다

Formal negative:

• 가지 않곤 했어요 (Didn't used to go)

More Natural: Just Past Negative

Usually express with simple past:

• 안 갔어요 (Didn't go)
• Rather than negative -곤 하다

-곤 하다 vs -았/었다

-곤 했다 (Used to)

Habitual past:

• 매일 가곤 했어요 (Used to go every day)
• Emphasizes repetition
• No longer true

-았/었다 (Simple Past)

Completed action:

• 어제 갔어요 (Went yesterday)
• Single occurrence
• Just states fact

-곤 하다 vs -던

-곤 하다 (Used to habitually)

Repeated habitual action:

• 가곤 했어요 (Used to go regularly)
• Emphasizes habit/pattern

-던 (Past ongoing/descriptive)

Was doing / used to be:

• 가던 길 (the road I was going on)
• More descriptive
• Can be single instance

Common Expressions

Childhood

• 어렸을 때 놀곤 했어요 (Used to play when I was young)
• 할머니 댁에 가곤 했어요 (Used to go to grandma's house)

School Days

• 도서관에서 공부하곤 했어요 (Used to study in the library)
• 친구들과 축구하곤 했어요 (Used to play soccer with friends)

Past Relationships

• 매일 만나곤 했어요 (Used to meet every day)
• 자주 전화하곤 했어요 (Used to call often)

Old Habits

• 일찍 일어나곤 했어요 (Used to wake up early)
• 매일 운동하곤 했어요 (Used to exercise every day)

Special Patterns

-곤 하다가

Used to do, then...:

• 가곤 하다가 그만뒀어요 (Used to go, then stopped)

-곤 했는데

Used to, but...:

• 만나곤 했는데 요즘은 바빠요 (Used to meet, but busy these days)

Literary/Formal Usage

In Writing

More common in narratives:

• Storytelling about past
• Memoirs and essays
• Reminiscence

Spoken

Still natural in conversation:

• Especially when reminiscing
• Talking about childhood
• Reflecting on past

Common Mistakes

❌ Incorrect: 가고 했다

Wrong connector

✅ Correct: 가곤 했다

Use -곤, not -고

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❌ Incorrect: 가곤 해요 (for past habit)

Using present when past intended

✅ Correct: 가곤 했어요

Use past tense for "used to"

Summary Table

Pattern	Example	Meaning
V-곤 했다	가곤 했다	used to go
V-곤 했어요	먹곤 했어요	used to eat
Time + V-곤 했다	어렸을 때 놀곤 했다	used to play when young
자주 V-곤 했다	자주 만나곤 했다	used to meet often
V-곤 했는데	가곤 했는데	used to go, but...