Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'are' for current plural states and 'were' for past plural states or hypothetical 'what-if' dreams.
- Use 'are' for now with we/you/they: 'They are happy.'
- Use 'were' for then with we/you/they: 'They were happy.'
- Use 'were' for imaginary situations: 'If I were you...'
Overview
be 동사입니다. 하지만 기초를 넘어 중급(B1) 단계로 접어들면서도 많은 한국인 학습자들이 여전히 are와 were의 사용에서 실수를 범하곤 합니다. 이 두 단어는 모두 be 동사의 변형이지만, 그 속에 담긴 '시간의 차이'와 '상황의 뉘앙스'는 완전히 다릅니다.are는 현재 시제(Present Tense)를 나타내며, 지금 이 순간의 상태, 변하지 않는 사실, 혹은 현재 진행 중인 동작을 설명할 때 사용합니다. 반면 were는 과거 시제(Past Tense)로, 이미 끝난 일, 과거의 상태, 혹은 '만약 ~라면'과 같은 가정의 상황을 나타낼 때 사용됩니다. 한국어에서는 동사의 어미(예: '~이다' vs '~이었다')를 통해 시제를 조절하지만, 영어에서는 주어의 수(단수/복수)와 시제를 동시에 고려하여 are와 were를 선택해야 합니다.are와 were가 까다로운 이유는 한국어의 주어 생략 습관과 복수 개념의 유연성 때문입니다. 영어는 주어가 누구인지, 그리고 그 사건이 '지금'인지 '그때'인지를 명확하게 구분하는 것을 원칙으로 합니다. 이번 가이드에서는 are와 were의 구조적 차이부터 한국인들이 가장 많이 틀리는 포인트, 그리고 자연스러운 회화 표현까지 심도 있게 다루어 보겠습니다. 이 글을 다 읽고 나면, 여러분은 더 이상 과거를 이야기할 때 are를 쓰는 실수를 하지 않게 될 것입니다.be 동사는 문장에서 크게 두 가지 역할을 수행합니다. 첫째는 '연결 동사(Copula)'로서 주어와 보어(명사, 형용사)를 연결하여 주어의 정체성이나 상태를 설명하는 역할이고, 둘째는 '조동사(Auxiliary Verb)'로서 다른 동사와 결합해 진행형이나 수동태를 만드는 역할입니다.you, we, they와 같이 2인칭이거나 복수일 때 반드시 are나 were를 선택해야 합니다.- 1연결 동사로서의 역할:
They are friendly.(그들은 친절하다 - 현재의 성격)They were friendly.(그들은 친절했다 - 과거의 기억)
are와 were는 시간의 축을 결정하는 핵심 장치가 됩니다.- 1조동사로서의 역할:
- 진행형:
We are eating dinner.(우리는 지금 저녁을 먹고 있다) - 수동태:
The windows were broken.(그 창문들은 깨져 있었다)
be 동사는 역사적으로 복잡한 변화를 거쳐 왔습니다. 현대 영어에서 you는 단수(너 한 명)와 복수(너희들 여러 명)를 모두 포함하지만, 문법적으로는 항상 복수 취급을 하여 are와 were를 사용합니다. 이는 한국어의 '너'와 '너희'가 엄격히 구분되는 것과 달라 우리 학습자들이 자주 혼동하는 지점이기도 합니다.are와 were를 올바르게 사용하기 위해서는 주어와의 궁합(주어-동사 일치)을 완벽히 익혀야 합니다. 아래 표를 통해 현재와 과거 시제에서 be 동사가 어떻게 변하는지 한눈에 살펴보겠습니다.are와 were는 2인칭(you)과 모든 복수 주어(we, they, 복수 명사)의 전유물입니다.- 부정문:
be동사 뒤에not을 붙입니다. 줄임말인aren't와weren't가 회화에서 압도적으로 많이 쓰입니다. We are not (aren't) ready.They were not (weren't) happy.- 의문문: 주어와 동사의 위치를 바꿉니다.
Are you coming?(너 오고 있니?)Were you there?(너 거기 있었니?)
are는 주어와 합쳐져 you're, we're, they're로 자주 축약되지만, 과거 시제 were는 주어와 축약하지 않는 것이 원칙입니다. (예: they'were라는 표현은 존재하지 않습니다.) 이 점을 기억하면 문장을 쓸 때 훨씬 전문적으로 보일 수 있습니다.are와 were가 어떻게 쓰이는지 구체적인 시나리오를 통해 알아보겠습니다.are)The cafes in Seoul are very trendy.(서울의 카페들은 매우 트렌디하다.)You are an important member of our team.(당신은 우리 팀의 중요한 멤버입니다.)The results of the test are available online.(시험 결과는 온라인에서 확인 가능합니다.)
were)We were at the PC bang until midnight.(우리는 자정까지 PC방에 있었다.)The delivery apps were down for an hour yesterday.(어제 배달 앱들이 한 시간 동안 먹통이었다.)They were colleagues at the previous company.(그들은 이전 직장 동료였다.)
- 현재 진행형:
What are you doing?(지금 뭐 해?) - 카카오톡에서 친구에게 물어볼 때 자주 쓰죠. - 과거 진행형:
I called you, but you were sleeping.(전화했는데 너 자고 있더라.) - 과거의 특정 순간에 진행 중이었던 동작을 묘사합니다.
- 현재 수동:
Many products are made in Korea.(많은 제품이 한국에서 만들어진다.) - 과거 수동:
The invitations were sent last week.(초대장은 지난주에 발송되었다.)
were 전용)I, he, she)일지라도 was 대신 were를 쓰는 것이 문법적으로 올바른 표현(Subjunctive)입니다.If I were you, I would take that job.(내가 너라면 그 일자리를 잡을 텐데.) - 실제로는 내가 네가 아니기 때문에were를 씁니다.She acts as if she were the CEO.(그녀는 마치 자기가 CEO인 것처럼 행동한다.) - 실제로는 CEO가 아니라는 뉘앙스가 강합니다.
is나 was를 쓰는 경우- Error:
The students was very quiet.(X) - Correction:
The students were very quiet.(O) - Why?:
students가 복수이므로 과거 동사도 복수형인were가 와야 합니다.
You 뒤에 was를 쓰는 경우you가 한 명을 가리킬 때, 한국인 학습자들은 단수라고 생각하여 was를 쓰고 싶은 유혹을 강하게 느낍니다.- Error:
You was late this morning.(X) - Correction:
You were late this morning.(O) - Why?: 영어 문법에서
you는 단수/복수 상관없이 언제나 복수 동사(are,were)와 짝을 이룹니다. 이것은 약속입니다!
was를 쓰는 경우If I was라고 하기도 하지만, 비즈니스 이메일이나 격식 있는 자리에서는 If I were가 표준입니다.- Error:
If it was sunny, we could go out.(X) - Correction:
If it were sunny, we could go out.(O) - Why?: 현재 날씨가 맑지 않다는 '반대 상황'을 가정할 때는
were를 써서 현실과 거리를 둡니다.
are/were와 혼동하기 쉬운 다른 패턴들을 비교해 보겠습니다.They are here. | He is here. |They were here. | He was here. |You는 항상 이 그룹에 속함 | I는 과거형에서만 was 사용 |have been과 were를 헷갈려 하는 경우도 많습니다.They were happy.(그들은 그때 행복했다 - 과거의 단절된 상태)They have been happy.(그들은 쭉 행복해왔다 - 과거부터 지금까지의 상태)
You가 한 명인데 왜 are나 were를 써야 하나요?thou와 복수형 you가 따로 있었습니다. 하지만 시간이 흐르며 thou가 사라지고 you가 두 역할을 모두 맡게 되었죠. 형태는 하나로 합쳐졌지만, 문법적인 규칙은 복수형의 것을 그대로 따르기로 약속되었기 때문에 항상 are/were를 씁니다.There are와 There were는 언제 쓰나요?There are apples on the table, «있었다»는 There were apples가 됩니다. 주어가 뒤에 나오기 때문에 한국인들이 수 일치 실수를 가장 많이 하는 구문 중 하나입니다.If I was you라고 말하는 원어민을 봤는데, 틀린 건가요?If I was를 정말 많이 씁니다. 하지만 문법 시험, 격식 있는 보고서, 면접 등에서는 If I were를 쓰는 것이 훨씬 교양 있고 정확한 영어를 구사한다는 인상을 줍니다. 중급 이상의 학습자라면 were를 쓰는 습관을 들이는 것이 좋습니다.were의 발음이 where와 비슷한데 어떻게 구분하나요?where는 [웨얼]에 가깝게 입술을 둥글게 모으며 시작하고, were는 [워얼]에 가깝게 더 낮은 소리가 납니다. 문맥상 장소를 묻는다면 where, 상태를 말한다면 were이므로 상황에 집중해 보세요!Conjugation of 'To Be' (Plural & You)
| Subject | Present (Are) | Past (Were) | Subjunctive (Were) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
We
|
are
|
were
|
were
|
|
You (Singular)
|
are
|
were
|
were
|
|
You (Plural)
|
are
|
were
|
were
|
|
They
|
are
|
were
|
were
|
|
I
|
am
|
was
|
were (If I were...)
|
|
He/She/It
|
is
|
was
|
were (If it were...)
|
Contractions
| Full Form | Contraction | Negative Form | Negative Contraction |
|---|---|---|---|
|
We are
|
We're
|
We are not
|
We aren't / We're not
|
|
You are
|
You're
|
You are not
|
You aren't / You're not
|
|
They are
|
They're
|
They are not
|
They aren't / They're not
|
|
We were
|
n/a
|
We were not
|
We weren't
|
|
They were
|
n/a
|
They were not
|
They weren't
|
Meanings
Forms of the verb 'to be' used to describe states, identities, or locations for plural subjects and the singular 'you'.
Present State
Describing a current condition or identity for 'we', 'you', or 'they'.
“You are very kind.”
“They are the winners.”
Past State
Describing a completed condition or identity in the past.
“We were late yesterday.”
“You were my best friend in school.”
Hypothetical (Subjunctive)
Used to express wishes, dreams, or conditions that are not true.
“If I were a millionaire, I'd buy a boat.”
“I wish they were here.”
Continuous Auxiliary
Helping verbs for the Present Continuous and Past Continuous tenses.
“They are dancing.”
“They were dancing when I arrived.”
Reference Table
| 주어 | 시간 | 동사 형태 | 예시 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
We
|
Present
|
are
|
We are ready.
|
|
You (singular/plural)
|
Present
|
are
|
You are kind.
|
|
They
|
Present
|
are
|
They are working.
|
|
The students
|
Present
|
are
|
The students are here.
|
|
We
|
Past
|
were
|
We were excited.
|
|
You (singular/plural)
|
Past
|
were
|
You were busy.
|
|
They
|
Past
|
were
|
They were laughing.
|
|
If I (hypothetical)
|
Past/Subjunctive
|
were
|
If I were taller...
|
격식 수준 스펙트럼
Are you prepared to proceed? (Group setting)
Are you ready? (Group setting)
You guys ready? (Group setting)
Y'all ready? (Group setting)
Are vs. Were: 개념 흐름
현재 시제
- are 복수 주어와 'you'에 사용
과거 시제
- were 복수 주어와 'you'에 사용
특별한 경우
- If I were... 가정법에 사용
Are vs. Were: 빠른 비교
'Are' 또는 'Were' 선택 흐름도
주어가 복수이거나 'you'인가요?
지금 일어나고 있거나 일반적으로 사실인 상황인가요?
상황이 과거에 있었던 일인가요?
가정적인 'if' 문장이나 소망인가요?
사용 맥락 그리드
현재 (Are)
- • 현재 위치: 'They are at the cafe.'
- • 진행 중인 행동: 'We are studying.'
- • 일반적인 사실: 'You are smart.'
과거 (Were)
- • 과거 위치: 'They were at the party.'
- • 과거 행동: 'We were talking.'
- • 과거 상태: 'You were tired.'
특별한 경우 (Were)
- • 가정법: 'If I were a bird...'
- • 소망: 'I wish you were here.'
수준별 예문
You are my friend.
You are my friend.
They are in the kitchen.
They are in the kitchen.
We were at school yesterday.
We were at school yesterday.
Were you tired last night?
Were you tired last night?
They aren't coming to the party.
They are not coming to the party.
We weren't ready for the test.
We were not ready for the test.
Are the keys on the table?
Are the keys on the table?
You were very helpful today.
You were very helpful today.
If I were you, I would call him.
If I were you, I would call him.
We are flying to Paris tomorrow.
We are flying to Paris tomorrow.
They were being very loud during the movie.
They were being very loud during the movie.
I wish you were here with me.
I wish you were here with me.
The results are expected to be good.
The results are expected to be good.
If they were to win, it would be a miracle.
If they were to win, it would be a miracle.
You were supposed to be here at eight.
You were supposed to be here at eight.
Are you being served, sir?
Are you being served, sir?
Were it not for the rain, we would be hiking.
Were it not for the rain, we would be hiking.
They are not to be disturbed under any circumstances.
They are not to be disturbed under any circumstances.
I was wondering if you were planning to join us.
I was wondering if you were planning to join us.
The ruins were once a grand palace.
The ruins were once a grand palace.
Lest they were discovered, they moved in silence.
Lest they were discovered, they moved in silence.
The nuances of the law are such that few understand them.
The nuances of the law are such that few understand them.
If he were but a little more patient, he would succeed.
If he were but a little more patient, he would succeed.
Such are the trials of modern life.
Such are the trials of modern life.
혼동하기 쉬운
Learners often use 'was' for plural subjects or 'were' for singular ones.
Mixing up singular and plural in the present tense.
Both are heard, but only one is formally correct for hypotheticals.
자주 하는 실수
We was happy.
We were happy.
You is my friend.
You are my friend.
They are at home yesterday.
They were at home yesterday.
Are you was there?
Were you there?
The books is on the table.
The books are on the table.
We weren't go to the park.
We didn't go to the park.
Was you at the meeting?
Were you at the meeting?
If I was you, I'd go.
If I were you, I'd go.
I wish it was Friday.
I wish it were Friday.
They are married for ten years.
They have been married for ten years.
If it was to rain, we'd stay.
If it were to rain, we'd stay.
문장 패턴
They are ___ right now.
We were ___ when the phone rang.
If you were ___, what would you do?
The keys are not ___, they were ___.
Real World Usage
We're here! Where are you?
In my last role, we were responsible for the budget.
We were so young in this photo! Time flies.
Are the rooms ready yet?
The fries are cold, but they were hot when I ordered.
The participants were divided into two groups.
'시간 여행'을 떠올려 봐요
Are와 were 중에 뭘 쓸지 고민될 때, 작은 타임머신을 떠올려 봐요. «지금» 일인가요, 아니면 «그때» 일인가요? "Is your sentence about 'now' (present) or 'then' (past)?" 동사 선택은 시간에 따라 달라져요.'You'를 잊지 마세요
You는 항상 복수형 동사를 써요. 한 명한테 말하든 여러 명한테 말하든 상관없어요. "So, it's always 'you are' or 'you were!'"시간 단서를 찾아보세요
Yesterday, last week, currently, now, always 같은 시간 단서를 찾아보세요. These adverbs are your best friends for picking the correct tense.이 단어들이 시제를 알려주는 작은 문법 닌자 같아요!
가정법 'Were' 활용하기
If I were...처럼 말하는 건 좀 멋있어 보이지만, 사실 소망이나 가정을 말할 때 문법적으로 맞는 표현이에요. If I was you처럼
was를 쓰는 건 비격식적이지만, 격식 있는 자리나 글에서는 were를 쓰는 게 좋아요.복수 주어의 힘
Are와 were는 복수 주어를 좋아해요. We, they, the dogs, my siblings처럼 주어가 여러 개라면, are나 were를 쓸 가능성이 높아요.Smart Tips
Always use 'If I were you' instead of 'If I was you'. It sounds much more professional.
Ignore the number! 'You' is a grammatical plural in English, so it always takes 'are' and 'were'.
Look for time markers like 'yesterday', 'now', or 'next week' to decide between 'are' and 'were'.
If you wish for something that isn't true right now, use 'were'.
발음
Weak form of 'Are'
In fast speech, 'are' is often reduced to a schwa sound /ə/.
Weak form of 'Were'
In fast speech, 'were' is often reduced to /wə/.
Question Inversion
Are you ↗ ready?
Rising intonation at the end of 'are/were' questions.
암기하기
기억법
ARE is for the stars (present/bright), WERE is for the year (past/gone).
시각적 연상
Imagine a bright sun labeled 'ARE' shining on a group of people today. Then imagine a dusty old photo album labeled 'WERE' showing the same people years ago.
Rhyme
When it's now, 'are' is the way. When it's then, 'were' saves the day.
Story
A king says, 'We are powerful today!' but his ghost says, 'We were powerful once.' Then a dreamer says, 'If I were a king, I would be happy.'
Word Web
챌린지
Write three sentences: one about where you are now, one about where you were on your last birthday, and one starting with 'If I were a bird...'
문화 노트
In AAVE, 'be' can be used as an invariant verb for habitual actions (e.g., 'They be working'), which is different from the standard 'They are working'.
The use of 'y'all are' is standard for the plural 'you'.
Some dialects use 'was' for all subjects in the past ('We was', 'They was'). This is considered non-standard but is very common in certain regions.
The verb 'to be' is highly irregular because it comes from three different Old English roots: 'am/is', 'be', and 'was/were'.
대화 시작하기
Where are you right now, and where were you two hours ago?
If you were the president of your country, what is the first thing you would change?
What are your favorite hobbies, and were they the same when you were a child?
Think about your last vacation. Were the people friendly? Was the weather good?
일기 주제
자주 하는 실수
Test Yourself
The students ____ excited for the field trip tomorrow.
Find and fix the mistake:
Last year, the prices are much lower for flights.
Choose the correct sentence:
Translate into English: 'Están muy ocupados en este momento.'
Answer starts with: ["T...
Score: /4
연습 문제
8 exercisesThey ___ very busy today.
Last night, we ___ at the cinema.
Find and fix the mistake:
If I was you, I would buy the red car.
You are late for the meeting.
A: Where ___ the kids? B: They ___ in the garden a minute ago.
Identify the hypothetical sentence.
1. He, 2. They, 3. You
You should use 'was' with 'you' if you are only talking to one person.
Score: /8
Practice Bank
12 exercisesWe ____ going to the concert next week.
You ____ incredibly tired after your overnight shift.
The children was playing outside all afternoon yesterday.
If she was here, she would help us with the presentation.
Choose the correct sentence:
Choose the correct sentence:
Translate into English: 'Ustedes estuvieron en la biblioteca ayer.'
Translate into English: 'Si fuera rico, compraría un yate.'
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Match the subjects with the correct form:
Match the subjects with the correct form:
Score: /12
자주 묻는 질문 (8)
This is the 'subjunctive mood', used for things that aren't true. While `If I was` is common in casual talk, `If I were` is the grammatically correct form for hypotheticals.
Yes, but only in hypothetical situations like `I wish she were here` or `If he were taller`. In the normal past tense, use `was`.
In standard English, no. It is always `You were`. You might hear `You was` in some dialects or songs, but avoid it in exams or work.
The contraction is `weren't`. It is very common in speaking and informal writing.
Move `are` to the front of the sentence: `Are they coming?` instead of `They are coming.`
No, `it` is singular and uses `is` (present) or `was` (past). The only exception is the subjunctive: `If it were Sunday, I'd be in bed.`
`They're` is the contraction for `they are`. `There` refers to a place. They sound the same but have different meanings.
Use `are` + `-ing` for fixed plans: `We are meeting at 5 PM.` This shows the plan is already decided.
Scaffolded Practice
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Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
son / eran / fueron / estuvieran
English doesn't distinguish between 'being' (essence) and 'being' (location) with different verbs.
sont / étaient
French has more complex conjugation for 'you' (tu es vs vous êtes).
sind / waren
German uses 'waren' for all plural subjects, just like English.
desu / deshita
No plural agreement in Japanese.
kana (past) / zero copula (present)
The present tense 'are' is often invisible in Arabic sentences.
shì (是)
No conjugation for tense or number.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
관련 동영상
![Learn English With Disney Movies | Monsters Inc. [Intermediate Level]](https://sublearn.com/storage/thumbnails/EKxTwv682nU.jpg)
28:48 Learn English With Disney Movies | Monsters Inc. [Intermediate Level]
04:23 "Agent Whiskey vs Agent Galahads" FIGHT SCENE(KINGSMAN: THE GOLDEN CIRCLE)HD
03:15 The Irishman (2019) - Frank Sheeran Meet Angelo Bruno Scene
Are vs Were 차이점 쉽게 알려드릴게요! 영어문법 기초
영어회화 100일의 기적
Are, were, is, was, am 헷갈리는 be동사 정리 끝!
영어의 여왕
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