KOREAN PAST TENSE

In this lesson we will teach you about the Korean Past Tense, and how to master this dreaded conjugation!

Make sure to also check these lessons:

• Korean Present Tense
• Korean Future Tense

INTRODUCTION

To make a sentence in the past tense, you can make a small change on predicates of the present tense verbs. The logic is almost the same as the present tense conjugation.

We’ll explain how to conjugate each type of verbs in more details further down below.

• Case 1 || Verbs ending with -았어요
• Case 2 || Verbs ending with -었어요
• Case 3 || Verbs ending with -헀어요

Let’s dive into the examples. 

CASE 1 || CONJUGATION EXAMPLES

CASE 2 || CONJUGATION EXAMPLES

CASE 3 || CONJUGATION EXAMPLES

CASE 1 || VERBS ENDING WITH -았어요

When a vowel of the word stem ends in ‘ㅏ’ or ‘ㅗ’, we add ‘-았어요’. 

When the word stem has a final consonant

For example, the word stem of 앉다 would be ‘앉-’.

Then you can combine ‘앉-’ with ‘-았어요’, and it would be ‘앉았어요’.

When the word stem doesn’t have a final consonant and ends with ‘ㅏ’

For example, the word stem of 자다 would be ‘자-’. 

Then you can combine ‘자-’ with ‘-았어요,’ and it would be ‘자았어요’.

However, ‘자았-’ changes to ‘잤-’, so it should be ‘잤어요’.

When the word stem doesn’t have a final consonant and ends with ‘ㅗ’:

For example, the word stem of 오다 would be ‘오-’. 

In this case, you can combine ‘오-’ with ‘-ㅏㅆ어요’  without the consonant ‘ㅇ’ of ‘-았어요’.

So, it would be ‘왔어요’.

NOTE || Please go to “Introduction” for more examples for case 1!

CASE 2 || VERBS ENDING WITH -었어요

When a final vowel of the word stem ends in something else rather than  ‘ㅏ’ or ‘ㅗ’, we add ‘-었어요’. 

When the word stem has a final consonant

For example, the word stem of 열다 would be ‘열-’.

Then you can combine ‘열-’ with ‘-었어요’, and it would be ‘열었어요’.

When the word stem especially ends in the vowel ‘ㅜ’

For example, the word stem of 배우다 would be ‘배우-’.

In this case, you can combine ‘배우-’ with ‘-ㅓㅆ요’  without the consonant ‘ㅇ’ of ‘-었어요’.

 So, it would be ‘배웠어요’.

When the word stem especially ends in the vowel ‘ㅣ’

For example, the word stem of 기다리다 would be ‘기다리-’.

When ‘-었어요’ is combined with the word stem ends with ‘ㅣ’, it changes to ‘-였어요’.

Then ‘-리였-’ would be ‘-렸-’. Therefore, it becomes ‘기다렸어요’.

When the word stem ends in the vowel ‘ㅐ’, ‘ㅓ’, or ‘ㅕ’

For example, the word stem of 보내다 would be ‘보내-’.

Then you can combine ‘보내-’ with ‘-었어요,’ and it would be ‘보내었어요’.

However, you can change ‘-내었-’ to ‘-냈-’, so it should be ‘보냈어요’.

NOTE || Please go to “Introduction” for more examples for case 2!

CASE 3 || VERBS ENDING WITH -헀어요 

When the vowel ends in -하다, simply replace it with ‘-했어요’.

For example, 공부하다 ends in ‘-하다.’ You can remove ‘-하다’ and put ‘-했어요’ to ‘공부-’.

It would be ‘공부했어요’.

NOTE || Please go to “Introduction” for more examples for case 3!

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