Almost Done in Korean: How to Say You're Nearly Finished with a Task
Learn 거의 다 했어요 and 거의 끝났어요 to say you're almost done in Korean, and contrast them with already finished and still working.
By PookieFriends & plans · Yapr Learn
You're repairing a bike, cooking, or finishing a report, and someone asks how it's going. You want to say "almost done" in Korean. The two most useful patterns are 거의 다 했어요 (geo-ui da hae-sseo-yo) and 거의 끝났어요 (geo-ui kkeun-na-sseo-yo). This lesson teaches both, shows how they differ from already finished and still working, and gives you polite questions to ask staff when you need a status update. You'll practice with real objects and actions, not abstract grammar.
By the end, you can…
- say that a task is almost done using 거의 다 했어요 or 거의 끝났어요.
- ask whether something is finished, still in progress, or already done.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
거의 다 했어요.
I'm almost done. / It's almost done.
geo-ui da hae-sseo-yo
Use when you have completed most of a task but a little remains. The subject is often omitted; add 제가 (je-ga, I) or 그거 (geu-geo, that) if needed. Note that 했어요 is the past form of 하다, but with 거의 다 it describes a present state of near completion.
거의 끝났어요.
It's almost finished.
geo-ui kkeun-na-sseo-yo
Focuses on the task or event nearing its end. Use for projects, meetings, repairs, or anything with a clear finish line.
아직 하고 있어요.
I'm still working on it.
a-jik ha-go i-sseo-yo
States that an action is still in progress. It does not specify how much remains: you might be near the beginning or nearly finished.
벌써 끝났어요.
It's already finished.
beol-sseo kkeun-na-sseo-yo
Use when the task is complete, often with surprise or emphasis. 벌써 (beol-sseo) means "already."
다 됐어요?
Is it done? / Are you done?
da dwae-sseo-yo?
A common polite question to ask if something is finished. With rising intonation it is a question; with falling intonation it can be a statement meaning "It's done," so context and intonation matter.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The adverb 거의 (geo-ui) means "almost" and pairs naturally with 다 (da, "all") or 끝나다 (kkeun-na-da, "to finish"). 거의 다 했어요 uses 하다 (ha-da, "to do") in the past tense: 했어요 (hae-sseo-yo). It literally says "I did almost all." 거의 끝났어요 uses 끝나다 in the past tense: 끝났어요 (kkeun-na-sseo-yo). It says "It almost finished." Both describe a task that is not complete but very close. For example, if you are folding laundry: 빨래 거의 다 했어요 (ppal-lae geo-ui da hae-sseo-yo, "I'm almost done with the laundry"). If a meeting is nearly over: 회의가 거의 끝났어요 (hoe-ui-ga geo-ui kkeun-na-sseo-yo, "The meeting is almost finished"). Notice that the past tense form does not always mean the action is fully in the past; with 거의, it often describes a present state of near completion.
When to use it
거의 다 했어요 emphasizes that you have done almost all of a task. 거의 끝났어요 focuses on the task or event nearing its end. 아직 하고 있어요 simply says you are still working; it does not specify how close you are to finishing. 벌써 끝났어요 says the task is already complete, often with a sense that it happened earlier than expected. Context can place these statements in the present situation or in a past narrative. For a current report update, 거의 다 했어요 is a useful answer when only a little work remains.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
이거 다 됐어요?
Is this done?i-geo da dwae-sseo-yo?거의 다 했어요. 조금만 더 하면 돼요.
I'm almost done. I just need to do a little more.geo-ui da hae-sseo-yo. jo-geum-man deo ha-myeon dwae-yo.그럼 언제 끝나요?
Then when will it be finished?geu-reom eon-je kkeun-na-yo?십 분 후면 거의 끝나요.
In ten minutes it will be almost finished.sip bun hu-myeon geo-ui kkeun-na-yo.A little context goes a long way
Korean often omits the subject when it is clear from context, so 거의 다 했어요 can mean "I'm almost done" or "It's almost done." The polite -요 ending is safe in most everyday situations. When speaking to close friends, you may drop -요 and say 거의 다 했어, but use the polite form with strangers, staff, or superiors. Asking 다 됐어요? is common and neutral, but intonation matters: a rising tone is a question, a falling tone can be a statement.
One thing to watch for
Treating 아직 하고 있어요 as a precise statement that a task is far from finished.
Try this instead: It only says the action is still in progress. Add 거의 다 했어요 when you want to say that most of the work is done. 거의 끝났어요 can also describe near-completion in a past context; a 뻔했다 construction is not required just because you are discussing the past.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How would you say "I'm almost done" when you have completed most of a task?
Show a sample answer
거의 다 했어요.
This uses 거의 (almost) with 다 하다 (to do all) in the polite past form. It is the most common way to say you are nearly finished with an action you are doing.
2Your friend asks if the project is finished, but it is still in progress and not close to done. What can you say?
Show a sample answer
아직 하고 있어요.
아직 (still) plus 하고 있어요 (am doing) clearly says the work is ongoing. You could also say 아직 안 끝났어요 (a-jik an kkeun-na-sseo-yo, "It's not finished yet"), which is also correct.
3Translate into Korean: "The meeting is almost finished."
Show a sample answer
회의가 거의 끝났어요.
회의 (meeting) takes the subject particle 가, and 끝났어요 is the polite past form of 끝나다. You can omit 가 in casual speech: 회의 거의 끝났어요.
Use 거의 다 했어요 for "I'm almost done" and 거의 끝났어요 for "It's almost finished." Contrast them with 아직 하고 있어요 (still working) and 벌써 끝났어요 (already done).
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