TL;DR
- -어/아 버리다 expresses that an action is completed fully or that something happens with a sense of finality 🎯
- It often conveys regret, relief, or emphasizes that something is now done and can't be undone 😌
- Attach it by removing 다 from the verb, adding 어/아, then 버리다 (which can conjugate normally) ✨
What does -어/아 버리다 mean? 🤔
When you add -어/아 버리다 to a verb, you're emphasizing that the action is completely finished or happened with finality 💯
It's like saying "to do something completely" or "to end up doing something" in English!
The feeling can be:
- Regret 😢 (Oh no, I did it and now it's too late!)
- Relief 😮💨 (Finally, it's done!)
- Emphasis 💪 (It's totally finished now!)
How to form it 🔧
It's super simple! ✨
Verb stem + 어/아 + 버리다
The 어/아 follows normal vowel harmony rules (just like regular 어요/아요 conjugation) 🎵
Once you attach 버리다, you can conjugate it like any regular verb!
Examples with different feelings 💭
Regret 😭
→ 휴대폰을 잃어버렸어요.
(I lost my phone.) — Oh no! 📱
→ 비밀을 말해버렸어요.
(I ended up telling the secret.) — Oops! 🤐
→ 케이크를 다 먹어버렸어요.
(I ate all the cake.) — Why did I do that?! 🍰
Relief 😌
→ 숙제를 끝내버렸어요.
(I finished the homework completely!) — Finally! 📚
→ 청소를 다 해버렸어요.
(I finished all the cleaning!) — Done! 🧹
→ 이메일을 보내버렸어요.
(I sent the email.) — It's sent now! 📧
Emphasis on completion 💪
→ 그 책을 하루 만에 읽어버렸어요.
(I read that whole book in one day!) 📖
→ 짐을 벌써 싸버렸어요.
(I already packed everything!) 🧳
→ 기회를 놓쳐버렸어요.
(I missed the opportunity completely.) ⏰
Common verbs with -어/아 버리다 🌟
Here are some you'll hear all the time! 👂
→ 잊어버리다 — to forget (completely) 🧠
→ 잃어버리다 — to lose (something) 🔍
→ 죽어버리다 — to die (with finality) ⚰️
→ 먹어버리다 — to eat up (completely) 🍴
→ 버려버리다 — to throw away (for good) 🗑️
→ 끝내버리다 — to finish (completely) ✅
Exceptions & Special Notes ⚠️
잊어버리다 and 잃어버리다 are often used AS the main verb 📝
These two are so commonly used with -어 버리다 that they're basically treated as single verbs! 🎭
You'll rarely hear just 잊다 or 잃다 in everyday speech — people almost always say 잊어버리다 and 잃어버리다 instead! 💬
→ 이름을 잊어버렸어요. (I forgot the name.) 🤷
→ 지갑을 잃어버렸어요. (I lost my wallet.) 👛
You can use it in any tense! ⏰
Just conjugate 버리다 normally! 🎯
→ 내일 다 해버릴 거예요. (I'm going to finish it all tomorrow.) 📅
→ 벌써 떠나버렸어요. (They already left.) 🚶
→ 지워버리세요. (Just delete it.) 🗑️
That's it! 🎉
Now you can express completion, regret, and relief like a native speaker! 🇰🇷✨
Try the following exercise.
Complete the sentences using -어/아 버리다 to express a completed action or natural result. 📝
- 어제 산 우유를 다 _.
Answer
마셔 버렸어요
- 실수로 친구의 비밀을 _.
Answer
말해 버렸어요
- 숙제를 집에 _.
Answer
두고 와 버렸어요
- 오래된 편지를 _.
Answer
버려 버렸어요
- 중요한 회의 시간을 _.
Answer
잊어버렸어요
- 배가 고파서 점심을 _.
Answer
먹어 버렸어요
- 화가 나서 문을 _.
Answer
닫아 버렸어요
- 재미있는 드라마를 하루 만에 _.
Answer
다 봐 버렸어요
- 새로 산 옷에 커피를 _.
Answer
쏟아 버렸어요
- 너무 피곤해서 소파에서 _.
Answer
자 버렸어요
Vocabulary
우유 - milk
실수로 - by mistake
비밀 - secret
숙제 - homework
두고 오다 - to leave behind
오래된 - old
편지 - letter
버리다 - to throw away
회의 - meeting
잊다 - to forget
배가 고프다 - to be hungry
화가 나다 - to be angry
문 - door
닫다 - to close
드라마 - drama/TV series
하루 만에 - in one day
옷 - clothes
쏟다 - to spill
피곤하다 - to be tired
소파 - sofa
Common mistakes
- 🚫 Using -어/아 버리다 for ongoing actions — this pattern only works for completed actions
- 🚫 Forgetting that -어/아 버리다 often implies regret or an unintended consequence, not just simple completion
- 🚫 Confusing 잊어버리다 (to forget) as two separate words — it's commonly used as one verb
- 🚫 Overusing this pattern in formal writing — it's more natural in spoken Korean and casual contexts