Korean grammar patterns › Level 4
-(으)ㄹ걸 그랬다
I should have … (regret); -지 말걸: I shouldn't have …
Level 4 · TOPIK II · intermediate
How to use it
The speaker regrets not having done (or having done) something. Spoken, mostly about oneself. Often shortened to -(으)ㄹ걸 at the end of a sentence in casual speech.
Forming it
| 오다 | → 올걸 그랬어요 |
| 먹다 | → 먹을걸 그랬어요 |
| 듣다 | → 들을걸 그랬어요 |
| 사다 | → 사지 말걸 그랬어요 |
No past tense inside: ✗ 탔을걸 그랬어요 → 탈걸 그랬어요.
Examples
비가 오네요. 우산을 가지고 올걸 그랬어요.
It's raining. I should have brought an umbrella.
이렇게 맛있는 줄 알았으면 더 많이 살걸.
If I'd known it was this good, I would have bought more.
Compared with similar patterns
-았/었어야 했다 (G4-029) is stronger and also used to criticize others; -(으)ㄹ걸 그랬다 is a softer personal regret. -(으)ㄹ걸요 (G3-038) looks similar but is a guess ('probably'), with no regret.