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Grammar Advanced TOPIK II · Level 5–6 Advanced Korean 2 · final ending

-던가2

-던가②: Was It…, I Wonder? — Past Question as Guess

Ending: was it…, I wonder? — past question as a guess.

Before this, make sure you know: -던가1 , -아요 / -어요

How to form it

When Form Example
Speculative past question -던가 갔던가 / 이었던가 / 하던가
Wondering aloud …던가? 그때 비가 왔던가? / 내가 말했던가?

-던가② wonders about the past — was it…, I guess?

Same shape family as -던가①. More guess / wonder, less firm memory check.

Why this is hard

① and ② share letters. Learners refuse to split. If the ask is I’m not sure — was it raining then?, you are closer to ②. If we lived there — we did, right?, lean ①.

What it does

그때 비가 왔던가?
내가 이미 말했던가?
그 사람이 왔던가?
문이 잠겨 있었던가?

The speaker is reconstructing, not only confirming shared memory.

Forms

-던가? again — reading is speculative.

Past-looking stems often appear: 갔던가, 였던가, 했던가.

When not to use it

Do not use it when you are firmly checking shared lived fact — -던가①.

Do not use it as a noun modifier — -던.

Do not use it as a future question.

Neighbours — and why they differ

FormWhy it is not this slot
-던가①Lived-memory past ask.
-던②Shorter past ask.
-던Adnominal.

Ask: am I wondering/guessing about the past? If yes, -던가②. If checking lived memory, -던가①.

If you would add 아마 or 글쎄 in English, you are usually in this wonder seat.

Do not confuse it with

-던가1

was it…, from experience? — past question from what you lived

-던2

was it…? — asking about what you experienced before

-던

that was unfinished / used to do / recalled from the past

Taught alongside this

On the jabi learning path, this appears in 종결어미 (final ending) — Advanced Korean 2, Unit 3, on the theme of final ending. These come with it:

-는구려 how…! — a mild, slightly archaic exclamation -는구먼 oh, so it is… — noticing a newly realised fact -그려 you know / indeed — particle stressing the point to the listener -으리라 I shall… / it will… — resolve, or speculation about the situation -으오 …o — the old polite ending of formal speech -으니4 how dare… / some…! — blaming or scolding with -으니 -거들랑2 you should know… — telling the listener something they do not know (종결) -게3 do it — the 하게체 command -게4 mind you / see here — drawing the point back into view -구려2 do it, won't you — a soft command -네1 plain statement — the 하게체 -네 that just reports -는구만 so it is… — noticing a newly realised fact (casual) -는가2 the question is… — raising the issue rather than asking casually -나2 …? — a bare question to yourself or someone close -던2 was it…? — asking about what you experienced before -던가1 was it…, from experience? — past question from what you lived -라2 plain statement — -라 after 이다-type stems -으리오 how could it…? — rhetorical pushback, often with lament -소 …so — the old polite style of shopkeepers and elders

Words used above

Tap the speaker to hear it read aloud by your browser.

-던가-deongawas it…? (I wonder)
추측chucheukguess / speculation
그때geuttaethen, at that time

Quick check

No sign-up, no score saved — just see if it stuck.

1. You are reconstructing a day you barely remember. Which line sounds like wondering aloud about whether it rained?

2. You clearly remember living near the station and want a friend to confirm it. Which choice avoids the more speculative -던가② reading?

3. At a café, you politely ask a new acquaintance whether they visited yesterday. Which line is the natural modern default?

Common questions

Job?

Ask about the past while wondering or guessing.

Vs ①?

-던가① grounds in lived experience. ② floats more.

Vs -던②?

-던② is the short ending ask. -던가 expands either colour.

Register?

Thinking aloud, soft speculation about what happened.