Korean grammar patterns › Level 4
-다(가) 말다
stop (doing) halfway, start … but not finish
Level 4 · TOPIK II · intermediate
How to use it
An action is started and then stopped before it's finished. Common forms: -다(가) 말았어요, -다(가) 말고 (stopping one thing to do another), -다(가) 만 N (a half-done thing: 먹다 만 빵).
Forming it
| 먹다 | → 먹다가 말았어요 |
| 하다 | → 하다 말고 |
| 읽다 | → 읽다 만 책 |
Examples
친구는 영화를 보다가 말고 갑자기 나가 버렸어요.
My friend stopped watching the movie halfway and suddenly walked out.
숙제를 하다 말고 어디 가요?
Where are you going in the middle of your homework?
Compared with similar patterns
-다가 (G2-035) simply switches to another action; -다(가) 말다 focuses on leaving the first one unfinished.