Past Tense: Did you do it? (았/었/였)
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
To talk about the past, add 았, 었, or 였 to the verb stem based on its final vowel.
- If the stem ends in ㅏ or ㅗ, add -았어요: 가다 → 갔어요.
- If the stem ends in any other vowel, add -었어요: 먹다 → 먹었어요.
- If the verb ends in 하다, it becomes 했어요: 공부하다 → 공부했어요.
Overview
To master Korean, you must accurately describe events that have already transpired. The past tense, realized through the suffix 았/었/였, is your primary linguistic mechanism for recounting completed actions, past states, and personal experiences. This structure is foundational, appearing in virtually all forms of Korean communication.
A thorough understanding of its formation and nuanced application is essential for progressing beyond basic present-tense constructions.
Korean verbs fundamentally differ from those in many Indo-European languages. Instead of varying by subject (e.g., "I go," "you go," "he goes"), Korean verbs remain constant in relation to the actor. Their primary modifications occur based on tense (when an action occurs) and politeness level (who you are speaking to).
The 았/었/였 suffix precisely marks an action or state as having occurred in the past. Its application is governed by a consistent phonological rule: vowel harmony. This principle dictates the selection of the correct past tense marker (-았-, -었-, or -였-) appended to the verb stem, simplifying conjugation once the core rule is internalized.
Even at an A1 level, a firm grasp of this past tense is crucial for expressing personal history, daily routines, and finished tasks.
Conjugation Table
| Verb Stem | Dictionary Form | Last Vowel (Stem) | Past Tense Marker | Contraction (if any) | Polite Informal (해체) | Polite Formal (합쇼체) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| :---------- | :------------------ | :------------------ | :------------------ | :--------------------- | :----------------------- | :-------------------------- | ||
가- |
가다 (to go) |
ㅏ |
-았- |
갔- |
갔어요 (gasseoyo) |
갔습니다 (gasseumnida) |
||
오- |
오다 (to come) |
ㅗ |
-았- |
왔- |
왔어요 (wasseoyo) |
왔습니다 (wasseumnida) |
||
보- |
보다 (to see) |
ㅗ |
-았- |
봤- |
봤어요 (bwasseoyo) |
봤습니다 (bwasseumnida) |
||
사- |
사다 (to buy) |
ㅏ |
-았- |
샀- |
샀어요 (sasseoyo) |
샀습니다 (sasseumnida) |
||
읽- |
읽다 (to read) |
Consonant (last vowel ㅣ) |
-었- |
- | 읽었어요 (ilgeosseoyo) |
읽었습니다 (ilgeosseum-nida) |
||
먹- |
먹다 (to eat) |
Consonant (last vowel ㅓ) |
-었- |
- | 먹었어요 (meogeosseoyo) |
먹었습니다 (meogeosseum-nida) |
||
서- |
서다 (to stand) |
ㅓ |
-었- |
섰- |
섰어요 (seosseoyo) |
섰습니다 (seosseumnida) |
||
배우- |
배우다 (to learn) |
ㅜ |
-었- |
배웠- |
배웠어요 (bae-wosseoyo) |
배웠습니다 (bae-wosseum-nida) |
||
주- |
주다 (to give) |
ㅜ |
-었- |
줬- |
줬어요 (jwosseoyo) |
줬습니다 (jwosseumnida) |
||
마시- |
마시다 (to drink) |
ㅣ |
-었- |
마셨- |
마셨어요 (masyeosseoyo) |
마셨습니다 (masyeosseumnida) |
||
공부하- |
공부하다 (to study) |
하 ending |
-였- |
했- |
공부했어요 (gongbuhaesseoyo) |
공부했습니다 (gongbuhaesseumnida) |
||
말하- |
말하다 (to speak) |
하 ending |
-였- |
했- |
말했어요 (malhaesseoyo) |
말했습니다 (malhaesseumnida) |
||
듣- |
듣다 (to listen) |
ㄷ irregular |
-었- |
들었- |
들었어요 (deureosseoyo) |
들었습니다 (deureosseum-nida) |
||
춥- |
춥다 (to be cold) |
ㅂ irregular |
-었- |
추웠- |
추웠어요 (chu-wosseoyo) |
추웠습니다 (chu-wosseumnida) |
||
돕- |
돕다 (to help) |
ㅂ irregular |
-았- |
도왔- |
도왔어요 (do-wasseoyo) |
도왔습니다 (do-wasseumnida) |
||
낫- |
낫다 (to get better) |
ㅅ irregular |
-았- |
나았- |
나았어요 (na-asseoyo) |
나았습니다 (na-asseumnida) |
||
쓰- |
쓰다 (to write/use) |
ㅡ irregular |
-었- |
썼- |
썼어요 (sseosseoyo) |
썼습니다 (sseosseumnida) |
||
크- |
크다 (to be big) |
ㅡ irregular |
-었- |
컸- |
컸어요 (keosseoyo) |
컸습니다 (keosseumnida) |
||
모르- |
모르다 (to not know) |
르 irregular |
-았- |
몰랐- |
몰랐어요 (mollasseoyo) |
몰랐습니다 (mollasseumnida) |
How This Grammar Works
-았-/-었-/-였-) that integrates directly into the verb stem, positioned before the final politeness ending. This marker's selection is fundamentally governed by vowel harmony, a pervasive phonological rule in Korean where vowels within a word or grammatical construction tend to match in their "brightness" or "darkness." This consistency creates a more fluid and natural sound in spoken Korean.- Bright Vowels (
ㅏ,ㅗ): If the last vowel of the verb stem is eitherㅏ(like in가다→가-) orㅗ(like in보다→보-), you append the bright past tense marker-았-. These vowels are often visually and phonetically perceived as "bright" or "open-mouthed" sounds. - Example:
가-+-았-→가았-→갔- - Example:
오-+-았-→오았-→왔-
- Dark/Neutral Vowels (All Others): If the last vowel of the verb stem is anything other than
ㅏorㅗ(e.g.,ㅓ,ㅜ,ㅡ,ㅣ,ㅐ,ㅔ, etc.), you append the dark/neutral past tense marker-었-. These are considered "darker" or "more closed-mouthed" sounds. - Example:
먹-+-었-→먹었- - Example:
읽-+-었-→읽었-
하다Verbs (The-였-Case): Verbs whose dictionary form ends in하다(meaning "to do" or forming many action verbs like공부하다– "to study") constitute a special, highly common category. The하-stem always combines with-였-. This combination then undergoes a mandatory contraction to했-. This contraction is so universally applied that하였-is rarely heard or written in modern Korean, even at a formal level.- Example:
공부하-+-였-→공부하였-→공부했-
어요 (yielding ~았어요, ~었어요, ~했어요) or the polite formal 습니다 (yielding ~았습니다, ~었습니다, ~했습니다). This systematic approach, driven by vowel harmony, makes the past tense remarkably regular and predictable once the core rules are understood.Formation Pattern
다. Remove 다 to obtain the verb stem. This stem is the invariable base for all conjugations.
자다 (to sleep) → stem: 자-
입다 (to wear) → stem: 입-
운동하다 (to exercise) → stem: 운동하-
하다, this step involves recognizing the special 하- ending.
자-: The last vowel is ㅏ.
입-: The last vowel is ㅣ (note: ㅂ is a consonant, so we look at the vowel before it).
운동하-: This is a 하다 verb.
ㅏ or ㅗ: Add -았-.
자- + -았- → 자았-
오- + -았- → 오았-
ㅓ, ㅜ, ㅡ, ㅣ): Add -었-.
입- + -었- → 입었-
먹- + -었- → 먹었-
하-: Add -였-.
운동하- + -였- → 운동하였-
-았- stems (after bright vowels ㅏ, ㅗ):
ㅏ + 았 → 았 (e.g., 가- + -았- → 가았- → 갔-)
어제 도서관에 갔어요. (eoje doseogwane gasseoyo. - I went to the library yesterday.)
ㅗ + 았 → 왔 (e.g., 오- + -았- → 오았- → 왔-)
친구가 집에 왔습니다. (chin-guga jibe wasseumnida. - My friend came home.)
해체): ~았어요
합쇼체): ~았습니다
-었- stems (after dark/neutral vowels):
ㅜ + 었 → 워 (e.g., 배우- + -었- → 배우었- → 배웠-)
피아노를 배웠어요. (pianoreul bae-wosseoyo. - I learned piano.)
ㅣ + 었 → 여 (e.g., 마시- + -었- → 마시었- → 마셨-)
물을 마셨습니다. (mureul masyeosseumnida. - I drank water.)
ㅡ vowel drop (when preceded by a consonant, the ㅡ often drops, and the past tense marker is chosen based on the preceding vowel or defaults to -었- if no clear preceding vowel):
쓰다 (to write/use): 쓰- + -었- → 쓰었- → 썼-
편지를 썼어요. (pyeonjireul sseosseoyo. - I wrote a letter.)
크다 (to be big): 크- + -었- → 크었- → 컸-
건물이 아주 컸습니다. (geonmuri aju keosseumnida. - The building was very big.)
해체): ~었어요
합쇼체): ~었습니다
하다 verbs (-였- contraction):
하 + 였 → 했 (e.g., 공부하- + -였- → 공부하였- → 공부했-)
어제 밤에 공부했어요. (eoje bame gongbuhaesseoyo. - I studied last night.)
해체): ~했어요
합쇼체): ~했습니다
ㄷ irregular (e.g., 듣다 - to listen, 묻다 - to ask): The ㄷ in the stem changes to ㄹ before a vowel-starting ending like -았-/-었-.
듣다 (듣-) → 들- + -었- → 들었어요/들었습니다 (deureosseoyo/deureosseumnida)
ㅂ irregular (e.g., 춥다 - to be cold, 돕다 - to help): The ㅂ in the stem changes to ㅜ or ㅗ before a vowel-starting ending. The specific vowel (ㅜ or ㅗ) is determined by vowel harmony with the preceding vowel in the stem, influencing the choice of -았- or -었-.
춥다 (춥-, preceding vowel ㅜ) → 추우- + -었- → 추웠어요/추웠습니다 (chu-wosseoyo/chu-wosseumnida)
돕다 (돕-, preceding vowel ㅗ) → 도오- + -았- → 도왔어요/도왔습니다 (do-wasseoyo/do-wasseumnida)
ㅡ irregular (e.g., 쓰다 - to write/use, 크다 - to be big, 예쁘다 - to be pretty): The ㅡ vowel in the stem drops when followed by -았-/-었-. The choice of -았- or -었- is determined by the vowel immediately preceding ㅡ if one exists, otherwise it defaults to -었-.
예쁘다 (예쁘-, preceding vowel ㅔ) → 예뻤- + -어요 → 예뻤어요/예뻤습니다 (yeppeosseoyo/yeppeosseumnida)
르 irregular (e.g., 모르다 - to not know, 빠르다 - to be fast): The 르 in the stem changes to ㄹ라 or ㄹ러 when followed by -았-/-었-. The choice (라 vs. 러) depends on the vowel harmony of the syllable preceding 르.
모르다 (모르-, preceding vowel ㅗ) → 몰라- + -았- → 몰랐어요/몰랐습니다 (mollasseoyo/mollasseumnida)
When To Use It
았/었/였 past tense form (and its polite variations like 았/었/였어요 or 았/었/였습니다) serves two primary functions:- 1Describing Completed Actions: This is the most common use, indicating that an action was initiated and brought to completion in the past. The action is finished, with no implication of ongoing duration.
저는 어제 영화를 봤어요.(jeoneun eoje yeonghwareul bwasseoyo.- I watched a movie yesterday.) – The act of watching is definitively over.김 선생님이 지난주에 한국에 가셨습니다.(gim seonsaengnim-i jinanjue han-guge gasyeosseumnida.- Mr. Kim went to Korea last week.) – His journey to Korea is a finished event.숙제를 다 했어요.(sukjereul da haesseoyo.- I finished my homework.) – The homework is now complete.
- 1Expressing Past States or Conditions: This form is also used with descriptive verbs (what English calls adjectives) to convey that something was in a particular state or condition at some point in the past.
날씨가 어제 좋았어요.(nalssiga eoje joasseoyo.- The weather was good yesterday.) – Describes the state of the weather in the past.그 카페는 아주 조용했습니다.(geu kape-neun aju joyonghaesseumnida.- That cafe was very quiet.) – Characterizes the cafe's atmosphere in the past.저는 어렸을 때 키가 작았어요.(jeoneun eoryeosseul ttae kiga jagasseoyo.- I was short when I was young.) – Describes a past personal characteristic.
When Not To Use It
았/었/였 past tense is not universally applicable for all past-related expressions. Using it inappropriately can lead to grammatical errors or unintended meanings. Avoid using 았/었/였 in the following contexts:- 1For Actions Ongoing at a Point in the Past (Past Progressive): If you intend to describe an action that was in progress at a specific time in the past,
았/었/였is incorrect. Korean uses the past progressive structure~고 있었어요(-go isseosseoyo) for this purpose.
- Incorrect:
어제 저녁 7시에 밥을 먹었어요.(Implies: I finished eating dinner at 7 PM yesterday.) - Correct:
어제 저녁 7시에 밥을 먹고 있었어요.(eoje jeonyeok ilgop-sie babeul meokgo isseosseoyo.- I was eating dinner at 7 PM yesterday.)
- 1For Hypothetical or Counterfactual Past Conditions: The simple
았/었/였past tense does not convey hypothetical past scenarios or
Past Tense Conjugation Table
| Verb | Stem | Vowel | Suffix | Past Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
가다
|
가
|
ㅏ
|
았어요
|
갔어요
|
|
먹다
|
먹
|
ㅓ
|
었어요
|
먹었어요
|
|
오다
|
오
|
ㅗ
|
았어요
|
왔어요
|
|
하다
|
하
|
ㅏ
|
였어요
|
했어요
|
|
마시다
|
마시
|
ㅣ
|
었어요
|
마셨어요
|
|
배우다
|
배우
|
ㅜ
|
었어요
|
배웠어요
|
Meanings
This grammar is used to indicate that an action or state occurred in the past.
Completed Action
An action that finished in the past.
“영화를 봤어요.”
“밥을 먹었어요.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Stem + 았/었/였어요
|
먹었어요
|
|
Negative
|
안 + Stem + 았/었/였어요
|
안 먹었어요
|
|
Question
|
Stem + 았/었/였어요?
|
먹었어요?
|
|
Short Answer (Yes)
|
네, 했어요
|
네, 먹었어요
|
|
Short Answer (No)
|
아니요, 안 했어요
|
아니요, 안 먹었어요
|
Formality Spectrum
먹었습니다. (Daily life)
먹었어요. (Daily life)
먹었어. (Daily life)
먹음. (Daily life)
Vowel Harmony Map
ㅏ/ㅗ
- 았어요 add this
Others
- 었어요 add this
하다
- 했어요 special case
Examples by Level
저는 밥을 먹었어요.
I ate a meal.
어제 학교에 갔어요.
I went to school yesterday.
운동을 했어요.
I exercised.
영화를 봤어요.
I watched a movie.
어제 친구를 만났어요?
Did you meet your friend yesterday?
숙제를 안 했어요.
I didn't do my homework.
커피를 마셨어요.
I drank coffee.
책을 읽었어요.
I read a book.
어제는 날씨가 좋았어요.
The weather was good yesterday.
그 소식을 들었어요.
I heard the news.
어디에 살았어요?
Where did you live?
너무 바빴어요.
I was too busy.
그때는 몰랐었어요.
I didn't know it back then.
이미 결정을 했어요.
I have already made the decision.
그가 말한 것을 들었어요.
I heard what he said.
열심히 준비를 했어요.
I prepared hard.
그 사건을 기억하고 있었어요.
I was remembering that incident.
그는 이미 떠났었어요.
He had already left.
그렇게 생각했었어요.
I had thought so.
그것이 문제였어요.
That was the problem.
그 시절을 그리워했었어요.
I had missed those days.
모든 것이 변했었어요.
Everything had changed.
그는 이미 도착했었어요.
He had already arrived.
그것이 최선이었어요.
That was the best option.
Easily Confused
Learners mix up -아요 and -았어요.
Learners mix up -았어요 and -ㄹ 거예요.
Learners try to conjugate 하다 like other verbs.
Common Mistakes
가았어요
갔어요
먹다었어요
먹었어요
공부하았어요
공부했어요
보았어요
봤어요
마시었어요
마셨어요
안 갔어요?
안 갔어요.
했었어요
했어요
들었어요
들었어요
살았었어요
살았어요
바빴었어요
바빴어요
변했었었요
변했었어요
도착했었요
도착했어요
최선이었었요
최선이었어요
Sentence Patterns
저는 어제 ___을/를 했어요.
지난주에 ___에 갔어요.
어제 ___을/를 먹었어요.
저는 어제 ___를 봤어요.
Real World Usage
어디 갔어?
오늘 운동 했음!
경험을 쌓았습니다.
어디서 샀어요?
주문했어요.
숙제를 다 했어요.
Check the vowel
Don't forget to remove '다'
Practice contractions
Politeness matters
Smart Tips
Always use 했어요.
Use 았어요.
Use 었어요.
Use contractions.
Pronunciation
Vowel Fusion
When the stem ends in a vowel, it often merges with the suffix.
Question
먹었어요? ↑
Rising intonation indicates a question.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Remember 'A-O-A' (Ah-Oh-Ah): If the vowel is A or O, use A (았).
Visual Association
Imagine a giant 'A' and 'O' eating a bowl of '았' soup, while all other letters eat '었' soup.
Rhyme
Vowel is A or O, add 았 you know. Anything else, 었 is the flow.
Story
Yesterday, I went (갔어요) to the park. I ate (먹었어요) an apple. I studied (공부했어요) Korean. It was a busy day!
Word Web
Challenge
Write 5 sentences about what you did yesterday in 5 minutes.
Cultural Notes
Using the correct politeness level is crucial when talking about the past to elders.
The past tense suffix evolved from the auxiliary verb '있다' (to be).
Conversation Starters
어제 뭐 했어요?
지난 주말에 어디 갔어요?
어제 저녁에 무엇을 먹었어요?
한국어를 언제부터 공부했어요?
Journal Prompts
Common Mistakes
Test Yourself
저는 어제 학교에 ___.
저는 밥을 ___.
Find and fix the mistake:
저는 공부하았어요.
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
I watched a movie.
Answer starts with: 영화를...
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
어제 / 운동하다
마시다
Score: /8
Practice Exercises
8 exercises저는 어제 학교에 ___.
저는 밥을 ___.
Find and fix the mistake:
저는 공부하았어요.
어제 / 먹었어요 / 밥을 / 저는
I watched a movie.
가다, 먹다, 하다
어제 / 운동하다
마시다
Score: /8
Practice Bank
13 exercises어제 영화를 ___.
Which form is correct?
책을 읽았어요.
Translate to Korean (Polite):
Pair the Present with the Past.
가방을 / 샀어요 / 저는
편지를 ___.
It wasn't me.
Identify the wrong form:
Translate: 'It was delicious.'
돈이 ___.
I gave a gift.
좋았어요.
Score: /13
FAQ (8)
It depends on the final vowel of the verb stem to maintain harmony.
If the vowel is ㅏ or ㅗ, use 았. Otherwise, use 었.
They always use 였, which contracts to 했.
Yes, just change the ending to -었습니다.
Yes, the latter is past perfect, used for actions further in the past.
Native speakers prefer contractions for natural flow.
It functions similarly but is much more regular.
Irregular verbs follow specific patterns, like ㄷ becoming ㄹ.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Pretérito perfecto simple
Korean does not conjugate for person.
Passé composé
Korean is agglutinative.
Perfekt
Korean is suffix-based.
Ta-form
Japanese has more complex irregular forms.
Past tense conjugation
Korean is gender-neutral.
le (了)
Korean is highly agglutinative.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
Continue With
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After doing something (~(으)ㄴ 후에)
Overview When you narrate a sequence of events in Korean, establishing a clear chronological order is fundamental. The g...
Korean Experience: Have done / Haven't done
Overview When discussing life experiences in Korean—whether you have ever done something or not—you utilize the grammati...
Have you ever...? (Expressing Experience with -은/ㄴ 적이 있다/없다)
Overview To effectively communicate in Korean, you must master expressing past experiences. The grammar pattern `-(으)...
Describing the Past: Noun Modifiers (ㄴ/은)
Overview Korean sentence structure often places descriptive elements before the noun they modify. The grammatical patter...
Doing things in order: After (ㄴ/은 후에)
Overview `-(으)ㄴ 후에` (pronounced `eun hue-eh` or `neun hue-eh`) is a Korean grammatical pattern used to indicate that...
Time Elapsed Since... (-(으)ㄴ 지)
Overview Korean grammar employs `-(으)ㄴ 지` to precisely articulate the duration of time that has elapsed since a parti...
Korean Past Habit Modifier: 'Used to' (~던)
Overview The Korean grammar pattern `던` (~던) functions as a retrospective noun modifier, indicating an action that was...
Said that [verb]ed - Past Indirect Speech
Overview Indirect speech, or reported speech, is a fundamental linguistic mechanism used to convey what someone else (or...
If Only / I Wish (-았/었으면)
Overview The Korean grammar pattern `—았/었으면` (romanized: *-at/eosseumyeon*) serves to express desires, wishes, regr...
Doing Action B while Action A stays frozen (-ㄴ/은 채)
Overview This grammar pattern, `-(ㄴ/은) 채(로)` (romanized as `-(n/eun) chae(ro)`), describes a situation where a secon...
Logical Past Guess: 'Must Have Done' (-았/었을 것이다)
Overview At the B2 level, your Korean communication gains significant nuance, moving beyond simple statements of fact to...
Classical Resultative: -온/운 (Past Modifier)
Overview At the B2 upper-intermediate level, mastering adnominal endings is crucial for expressing complex ideas concise...
Related Grammar Rules
Talking About the Past in Korean: The 았/었/였 Rules
Overview The Korean past tense, primarily expressed through the suffix **-았/었/였-**, is fundamental for conveying acti...
Future Tense: Will & Going To ((으)ㄹ 거예요)
Overview When communicating in Korean, articulating future actions, intentions, or predictions is fundamental. The gramm...
Identifying the Verb Stem (어간)
Overview In Korean, verbs (`동사`, *dongsa*) and adjectives (`형용사`, *hyeong-yongsa*), often collectively referred to...
Present Tense: The Polite 'Yo' Style (아/어/여요)
Overview Korean verbal conjugation might initially seem complex due to its multiple politeness levels and shifting endin...
The Korean Copula: Am, Is, Are (이다)
Overview In Korean, the concept of "to be" (am, is, are) is primarily conveyed by the copula `이다`. Unlike English verb...
