"I never did it."

Translation: 저는 한 적이 없습니다.

[HuntingHawk1415]

How are we ever supposed to guess what the translation is if were never given it in the first place? What in the world is 적?

[wintertriangles]

~은 적이 있다/없다 translates to having ever done something. 러시아에 간 적이 없어요 = I have not gone to Russia before. 훠궈를 먹은 적이 있어요 = I have eaten hot pot before.

[Kathi881421]

Thanks! You're comments are always really helpful :). It would be so nice to have these kind of explanations in the beginning though, to understand what the heck is happening x)

[arimk]

Could you not simply say "저는 안 했어요"?

[oee16]

한 적이 없다 = Never did = Did not ever (at any time)

안 했다 = did not

한 적이 없다 = 절대로 안 했다, where 절대로 = ever

"한 적이 없다" focuses on the negativity of the time factor of the action (defined by the verb) while,
"안 했다" focuses on the negativity of the action itself.

Note:
안 하다 also carries a connotation of unwillingness to carry out the action.

안 했다 = I did not (because I did not want to)

[HuntingHawk1415]

In a sense, but in that way it would actually mean something different.

저는 한적이 없습니다 = I never did it/I've never done it (here you're saying you've never experienced doing something before)

저는 안 했습니다 = I didn't do it (here, you're denying having done something, rather than saying you've never done it before)

[leesan55]

i never do it - not acceptable?.

[HuntingHawk1415]

Nope, not acceptable. This sentence is in the past tense. If you would like to say "I never do it," you would have to say "제가 절대 하지 않습니다" or similar.

[BruceGigis]

Don't you need to add 일 before 한 ?

[oee16]

한 (past tense of 하다) = done

일한 (past tense of 일하다) = done work / worked