-(으)ㄴ 적이 있다/없다
have done / have never done
Reports whether something has ever happened. Built on the past modifier plus 적, a noun meaning “occasion” — literally: there exists an occasion when I did it.
Build it
Pick a verb
When to use it
The form uses the past modifier: vowel stems take -ㄴ, consonant stems -은, and ㄹ drops. 만들다 gives 만든 적이 있어요.
It answers “have you ever…?” questions about life experience, and it does not sit comfortably with a specific recent date. 한국에 간 적이 있어요 works; 어제 학교에 간 적이 있어요 does not — that is just 갔어요.
The negative 없다 is the natural way to say you have never done something, and it is far more common than 안 with the positive form. Korean also combines this with -아/어 보다 to give -아/어 본 적이 있다, which stresses having tried it.
How to attach it
| Stem type | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Ends in a vowel | -ㄴ 적이 있다 | 가다 → 간 적이 있어요 |
| Ends in a consonant | -은 적이 있다 | 먹다 → 먹은 적이 있어요 |
| Ends in ㄹ | ㄹ drops | 만들다 → 만든 적이 있어요 |
| Never | -(으)ㄴ 적이 없다 | 간 적이 없어요 |
| Having tried | -아/어 본 적이 있다 | 먹어 본 적이 있어요 |
| Not for | specific recent events | 어제 간 적이 있어요 is wrong |
In use
한국에 간 적이 있어요?
Have you ever been to Korea?
저는 번지점프를 한 적이 없어요.
I’ve never been bungee jumping.
김치를 직접 만든 적이 있어요.
I’ve made kimchi myself before.
그 사람을 어디에선가 본 적이 있어요.
I’ve seen him somewhere before.
이런 음식은 먹어 본 적이 없어요.
I’ve never tried food like this.
어릴 때 부산에 산 적이 있어요.
I lived in Busan when I was young.
Compared with
-아/어 보다
-아/어 봤다 emphasises the attempt; -(으)ㄴ 적이 있다 emphasises that the occasion exists. Combining them gives the fullest form, -아/어 본 적이 있다.
먹어 봤어요. (I’ve tried it) / 먹은 적이 있어요. (I have eaten it before)
-았/었-
The plain past reports one event at one time; this construction reports experience across a lifetime. A time word like 어제 forces the plain past.
어제 갔어요. (I went yesterday) / 간 적이 있어요. (I’ve been there at some point)
-(으)ㄴ 적이 없다 vs 안
For “never,” Korean prefers 없다 over negating the verb. 안 한 적이 있어요 is grammatical but says something odd — that there was an occasion when you didn’t do it.
한 적이 없어요. (I’ve never done it) / 안 한 적이 있어요. (there was a time I didn’t)
Watch out
김치를 만들은 적이 있어요.
김치를 만든 적이 있어요.
Stems ending in ㄹ drop it before the past modifier, as in 만든 후에 and 만든 것.
어제 그 식당에 간 적이 있어요.
어제 그 식당에 갔어요.
This construction is for experience in general. Once a specific recent time is named, the plain past is required.
한국에 가는 적이 있어요.
한국에 간 적이 있어요.
적 needs the past modifier -(으)ㄴ. -는 would describe something ongoing, which cannot be an experience you have already had.
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