Middle School - Grade 7
Lesson 4: "Have you ever...?"
Past Experience (-(으)ㄴ 적이 있다/없다)
Talking About Your Experiences
You already know how to say something happened in the past (like "I ate kimchi"). This grammar is different. It's used to say whether you "have the experience of" doing something.
It's the perfect way to ask "Have you ever...?" and to answer "Yes, I have..." or "No, I have never...".
• -(으)ㄴ 적이 있다 = "have the experience of..." (I have done...)
• -(으)ㄴ 적이 없다 = "do not have the experience of..." (I have never...)
The Conjugation Rules
This grammar **only attaches to action verbs** and follows the exact same conjugation as the "Past Tense Noun Modifier" (Lesson 8-3).
Stem ends in Vowel or ㄹ
... + ㄴ 적이 있다/없다
보다 보ㄴ 적이 있어요
"I have seen (it) before."
살다 사ㄴ 적이 없어요
"I have never lived (there)."
Stem ends in Consonant (except ㄹ)
... + 은 적이 있다/없다
먹다 먹은 적이 있어요
"I have eaten (it) before."
듣다 들은 적이 없어요
"I have never heard (it)." (Note: ㄷ irregular!)
Examples in Conversation
ASKING ABOUT EXPERIENCE
A: "제주도에 가 본 적이 있어요?"
"Have you ever been to Jeju Island?"
Note: We often add `보다` (to try) to make `가 보다` (to try going).
ANSWERING "YES"
B: "네, 가 본 적이 있어요."
"Yes, I have been."
ANSWERING "NO"
B: "아니요, 가 본 적이 없어요."
"No, I have never been."
ANOTHER EXAMPLE
"그 사람을 만난 적이 없어요."
"I have never met that person."
Coming Up Next...
Great! You can now talk about your life experiences. Next, you'll learn how to talk about doing two things at the exact same time, using "while..."