Your goal
Ask about three experiences using activity cards
Distinguish a dated past event from asking whether someone has ever done something. Ask rather than assume an unknown history.
Before you start
- 경험
- something you have done or experienced
- 처음
- the first occasion, with no earlier attempt
- 시장
- a market with shops or stalls
- 먹어 본 적
- experience of eating something before
- 아직
- not yet, up to now
Explore the situation
The three cards show eating gimbap, visiting a market and studying Korean. They do not tell you the other person’s experience.
| Activity card | Ask first |
|---|---|
| 김밥 먹기 | 김밥을 먹어 본 적이 있어요? |
| 시장 가기 | 시장에 가 본 적이 있어요? |
| 한국어 공부하기 | 한국어를 공부해 본 적이 있어요? |
Learn the expressions
Use a familiar -아/어 form followed by 본 적이 있어요 to express experience. Start with the three patterns below.
| Dictionary form | Has done it | Has not done it |
|---|---|---|
| 먹다 | 먹어 본 적이 있어요. | 먹어 본 적이 없어요. |
| 가다 | 가 본 적이 있어요. | 가 본 적이 없어요. |
| 공부하다 | 공부해 본 적이 있어요. | 공부해 본 적이 없어요. |
Use the question as a question, not a statement. Answer 네, 먹어 본 적이 있어요 or 아니요, 먹어 본 적이 없어요.
Read the conversation
Food experience
김밥을 먹어 본 적이 있어요?
Show meaning
Have you ever eaten gimbap?
네, 먹어 본 적이 있어요.
Show meaning
Yes, I have.
A first attempt
한국어를 공부해 본 적이 있어요?
Show meaning
Have you ever studied Korean?
아니요, 공부해 본 적이 없어요. 처음이에요.
Show meaning
No, I haven’t. This is my first time.
Build a sentence
Change the card details and try a sentence before revealing the example. Then assemble the sentence pieces.
Change the facts and express them
Eat gimbap
Has tried it
- Record
- Tried it once before.
Example and explanation
김밥을 먹어 본 적이 있어요.
The past experience is confirmed.
First attempt
- Record
- No previous experience · first attempt now
Example and explanation
김밥을 먹어 본 적이 없어요. 처음이에요.
Being new does not mean lacking ability.
Unknown
- Record
- No experience information is supplied.
Example and explanation
김밥을 먹어 본 적이 있어요?
Notice the question mark: ask first.
Visit a market
Has tried it
- Record
- Tried it once before.
Example and explanation
시장에 가 본 적이 있어요.
The past experience is confirmed.
First attempt
- Record
- No previous experience · first attempt now
Example and explanation
시장에 가 본 적이 없어요. 처음이에요.
Being new does not mean lacking ability.
Unknown
- Record
- No experience information is supplied.
Example and explanation
시장에 가 본 적이 있어요?
Notice the question mark: ask first.
Study Korean
Has tried it
- Record
- Tried it once before.
Example and explanation
한국어를 공부해 본 적이 있어요.
The past experience is confirmed.
First attempt
- Record
- No previous experience · first attempt now
Example and explanation
한국어를 공부해 본 적이 없어요. 처음이에요.
Being new does not mean lacking ability.
Unknown
- Record
- No experience information is supplied.
Example and explanation
한국어를 공부해 본 적이 있어요?
Notice the question mark: ask first.
Sentence-piece practice
1. Ask about eating gimbap.
Sentence pieces
- 을
- 있어요?
- 김밥
- 먹어 본 적이
2. Say you have not visited a market.
Sentence pieces
- 에
- 없어요.
- 시장
- 가 본 적이
Practice
Choose a response that fits the situation using the expressions you learned.
1. Which asks whether someone has eaten gimbap before?
- 김밥을 먹어 본 적이 있어요?
- 김밥은 어디에 있어요?
- 김밥을 먹어요?
2. Your role has never visited a market. Choose the reply.
- 시장에 있어요.
- 가 본 적이 없어요.
- 가 본 적이 있어요.
3. Choose the experience form of 공부하다.
- 공부했 본 적이 있어요.
- 공부하어 본 적이 있어요.
- 공부해 본 적이 있어요.
4. The other person’s experience is unknown. What should you do?
- Ask about their experience.
- Say it is not their first time.
- Say they have never tried it.
Try a new situation
Use the new role information. Write the required details in Korean and try saying them.
Tasks
Try the tasks first, then compare with the answers and examples in step 10.
1. Card 1: eating gimbap. Ask about the other person’s experience.
Show a hint
Use the pattern and keep the supplied information.
2. Card 2: visiting a market. Ask about experience.
Show a hint
Use the pattern and keep the supplied information.
3. Card 3: studying Korean. Ask about experience.
Show a hint
Use the pattern and keep the supplied information.
4. Your role has visited a market before. Reply positively.
시장에 가 본 적이 있어요?
Show a hint
Use the pattern and keep the supplied information.
5. Your role is trying gimbap for the first time today. State no past experience and that it is your first time.
김밥을 먹어 본 적이 있어요?
Show a hint
Use the pattern and keep the supplied information.
Check your learning
Read the new conditions and distinguish the key information.
1. The person has visited a market. Choose the experience reply.
- 시장은 처음이에요.
- 시장에 가 본 적이 있어요.
- 시장에 가 본 적이 없어요.
2. This is the first attempt at eating gimbap. What fits?
- 어제 먹었어요.
- 먹어 본 적이 있어요.
- 먹어 본 적이 없어요. 처음이에요.
3. Answer the experience question: 한국어를 공부해 본 적이 있어요?
- 네, 공부해 본 적이 있어요.
- 네, 세 병이에요.
- 네, 도서관이에요.
4. What cannot be concluded from 처음이에요 alone?
- This is a first attempt.
- The person will never be able to do it.
- They have not tried it before.
5. Which question matches the market-visit card?
- 시장을 먹어 본 적이 있어요?
- 시장은 몇 병이에요?
- 시장에 가 본 적이 있어요?
6. Which gives a past event and when it happened?
- 어제 김밥을 먹었어요.
- 김밥은 처음이에요.
- 김밥을 먹어 본 적이 있어요.
Reflect on your reading
Tick only what you actually checked. Feedback from another person is optional and is not required to finish the lesson.
Answers and explanations
Show answers and explanations
Practice questions
1. Which asks whether someone has eaten gimbap before?
Answer: 김밥을 먹어 본 적이 있어요?
본 적이 있어요 asks about prior experience.
- 김밥은 어디에 있어요? — This asks for a location.
- 김밥을 먹어요? — This may ask about eating now or generally, not experience.
2. Your role has never visited a market. Choose the reply.
Answer: 가 본 적이 없어요.
Keep the fact that there is no prior visit.
- 시장에 있어요. — This only states a current location.
- 가 본 적이 있어요. — This states the opposite: prior experience.
3. Choose the experience form of 공부하다.
Answer: 공부해 본 적이 있어요.
Use 해 from 하다: 공부해 본 적이 있어요.
- 공부했 본 적이 있어요. — Do not place 했 before 본 적.
- 공부하어 본 적이 있어요. — Use 해, not 하어.
4. The other person’s experience is unknown. What should you do?
Answer: Ask about their experience.
Unknown information is not the same as no experience.
- Say it is not their first time. — No past experience has been confirmed.
- Say they have never tried it. — That invents a fact.
Learning check
1. The person has visited a market. Choose the experience reply.
Answer: 시장에 가 본 적이 있어요.
가 본 적이 있어요 states the visit experience.
- 시장은 처음이에요. — This contradicts the earlier visit.
- 시장에 가 본 적이 없어요. — This denies the experience.
2. This is the first attempt at eating gimbap. What fits?
Answer: 먹어 본 적이 없어요. 처음이에요.
Combine no prior experience with a first attempt.
- 어제 먹었어요. — Nothing says it happened yesterday.
- 먹어 본 적이 있어요. — This invents a previous experience.
3. Answer the experience question: 한국어를 공부해 본 적이 있어요?
Answer: 네, 공부해 본 적이 있어요.
Answer about experience of the same activity.
- 네, 세 병이에요. — The question was not about quantity.
- 네, 도서관이에요. — A place does not answer this question.
4. What cannot be concluded from 처음이에요 alone?
Answer: The person will never be able to do it.
A first attempt says nothing decisive about future ability.
- This is a first attempt. — This fits the meaning of first.
- They have not tried it before. — For the same activity, that fits a first attempt.
5. Which question matches the market-visit card?
Answer: 시장에 가 본 적이 있어요?
Use 에 for the destination and 가 본 적 for visiting.
- 시장을 먹어 본 적이 있어요? — A market is not the food being eaten.
- 시장은 몇 병이에요? — This does not ask about visiting.
6. Which gives a past event and when it happened?
Answer: 어제 김밥을 먹었어요.
어제 gives the time; 먹었어요 gives the past action.
- 김밥은 처음이에요. — This is a first attempt, not yesterday’s event.
- 김밥을 먹어 본 적이 있어요. — It gives experience but no specific time.
Example answers
Written responses are examples. Other wording can also meet the same conditions.
1. Card 1: eating gimbap. Ask about the other person’s experience.
김밥을 먹어 본 적이 있어요?
김밥 먹어 본 적이 있어요?
Ask whether they have eaten gimbap.
2. Card 2: visiting a market. Ask about experience.
시장에 가 본 적이 있어요?
Link 시장에 with 가 본 적이 있어요.
3. Card 3: studying Korean. Ask about experience.
한국어를 공부해 본 적이 있어요?
한국어 공부해 본 적이 있어요?
The experience form is 공부해 본 적.
4. Your role has visited a market before. Reply positively.
시장에 가 본 적이 있어요?
네, 시장에 가 본 적이 있어요.
네, 가 본 적이 있어요.
시장에 가 본 적이 있어요.
Keep the role’s positive experience.
5. Your role is trying gimbap for the first time today. State no past experience and that it is your first time.
김밥을 먹어 본 적이 있어요?
김밥을 먹어 본 적이 없어요. 처음이에요.
먹어 본 적이 없어요. 처음이에요.
아니요, 먹어 본 적이 없어요. 처음이에요.
Include both no previous experience and a first attempt.
Sentence-piece practice
1. Ask about eating gimbap.
김밥을 먹어 본 적이 있어요?
Gimbap is the object of eating.
2. Say you have not visited a market.
시장에 가 본 적이 없어요.
없어요 marks no previous experience.
Review and continue
Come back to these
Recall with the example closed
Ask about three experiences using activity cards
Change one detail
Change a person, action or time and make two sentences.
Combine with earlier expressions
Make a short exchange with a question and response.
Review what felt difficult
Review this expressionTalk about experience and first attempts →Earlier learningReconnect the foundation →Look separately at activity completion and core learning results.