ABSTRACT
The verb 말다 means “stop,” as in 비가오다가 말았어요 “(It) started to rain and then (it) stopped.” However, as an auxiliary verb, ~고 말다, consisting of the connective 고 and the verb 말다, expresses that the speaker does something completely, regrettably, or inadvertently. It is used when the action is carried out despite the subject’s previous effort or wishes against the completed action. Compare the following two sentences:
돌부리에 걸려 넘어졌어요.
“(I) fell over a stone.”
돌부리에 걸려 넘어지고 말았어요.
“(He) ended up falling over a stone.”
When compared to the completed action denoted in the first sentence, notice that the completed action of the second sentence (falling) is against the subject’s will. Here are more examples:겁이 나서 거짓말을 하고 말았어요.
“(I) ended up lying because (I) was scared.”
침대에 쥬스를 쏟고 말았어요.
“(I) ended up spilling juice on the bed.”
시험에 결국 떨어지고 말았어요.
“(I) ended up failing the exam in the end.”
그들은 사귄 지 2주만에 헤어지고 말았어요.
“As for them, (they) ended up breaking up within two weeks of dating.”
