Korean self-studying (Beginner level)Casual Past Tense

📌 Korean Grammar for Beginners: How to Express the Past Tense (-았/었어요)

📖 Master Korean Past Tense: -았/었어요

Welcome back to Korean study! Today, we will learn how to change verbs and adjectives into the Past Tense (-았/었어요).

If you already know how to form the present tense (-아/어요), learning the past tense is super simple!

1. Grammar Focus: Rules & Conjugation (문법 규칙)

To form the informal polite past tense in Korean, attach -았어요 / -었어요 / -했어요 to the verb or adjective stem.

Rule 1. Verb/Adjective Stem Ending in Vowels ‘ㅏ’ or ‘ㅗ’ → Add -았어요

When the last vowel of the stem is ㅏ (a) or ㅗ (o), add -았어요.

• 앉다 (anjda / to sit)→ 앉 + 았어요 = 앉았어요 (anj-asseoyo / sat)
• 받다 (batda / to receive)→ 받 + 았어요 = 받았어요 (bad-asseoyo / received)
• 살다 (salda / to live)→ 살 + 았어요 = 살았어요 (sal-asseoyo / lived)
• 가다 (gada / to go)→ 가 + 았어요 → 갔어요 (gasseoyo / went) (Contraction: 가+았 → 갔)
• 오다 (oda / to come)→ 오 + 았어요 → 왔어요 (wasseoyo / came) (Contraction: 오+았 → 왔)
• 보다 (boda / to watch, see)→ 보 + 았어요 → 봤어요 (bwasseoyo / watched, saw) (Contraction: 보+았 → 봤)

Rule 2. Stem Ending in Other Vowels (ㅓ, ㅜ, ㅣ, etc.) → Add -었어요

When the last vowel of the stem is NOT ㅏ or ㅗ, add -었어요.

• 읽다 (ilgda / to read)→ 읽 + 었어요 = 읽었어요 (ilgeosseoyo / read)
• 먹다 (meokda / to eat)→ 먹 + 었어요 = 먹었어요 (meogeosseoyo / ate)
• 배우다 (baeuda / to learn)→ 배우 + 었어요 → 배웠어요 (baewosseoyo / learned) (ㅜ + 어 → 워)
• 마시다 (masida / to drink)→ 마시 + 었어요 → 마셨어요 (masyeosseoyo / drank) (ㅣ + 어 → 여)
• 기다리다 (gidarida / to wait)→ 기다리 + 었어요 → 기다렸어요 (gidaryeosseoyo / waited)

Rule 3. Verbs/Adjectives Ending in -하다 → Changes to -했어요

Any word ending in 하다 (hada) changes to 했어요 (haesseoyo).

• 말하다 (malhada / to speak) → 말했어요 (malhaesseoyo / spoke)
• 공부하다 (gongbuhada / to study) → 공부했어요 (gongbuhaesseoyo / studied)
• 전화하다 (jeonhwahada / to call) → 전화했어요 (jeonhwahaesseoyo / called)
• 운동하다 (undonghada / to exercise) → 운동했어요 (undonghaesseoyo / exercised)
• 일하다 (ilhada / to work) → 일했어요 (ilhaesseoyo / worked)

Rule 4. Noun + 이다 (To Be) → -였어요 / -이었어요

• Vowel Ending Noun + 였어요
  • 의사이다 (uisa-ida / to be a doctor) → 의사였어요 (uisayeosseoyo / was a doctor)
• Consonant Ending Noun + 이었어요
  • 학생이다 (haksaeng-ida / to be a student) → 학생이었어요 (haksaeng-ieosseoyo / was a student)

2. Key Vocabulary Summary (주요 단어 모음)

Base Form (기본형)	Romanization	English	Past Tense (-았/었어요)	Romanization
앉다	anjda	to sit	앉았어요	anj-asseoyo
살다	salda	to live	살았어요	sal-asseoyo
가다	gada	to go	갔어요	gasseoyo
만나다	mannada	to meet	만났어요	mannasseoyo
오다	oda	to come	왔어요	wasseoyo
읽다	ilgda	to read	읽었어요	ilgeosseoyo
먹다	meokda	to eat	먹었어요	meogeosseoyo
배우다	baeuda	to learn	배웠어요	baewosseoyo
마시다	masida	to drink	마셨어요	masyeosseoyo
말하다	malhada	to speak	말했어요	malhaesseoyo
운동하다	undonghada	to exercise	운동했어요	undonghaesseoyo
숙제하다	sukjehada	to do homework	숙제했어요	sukjehaesseoyo

3. In Conversation (대화 예문)

Dialogue 1

• A: 지금 뭐 해요?(Jigeum mwo haesseoyo?) → What did you do? / What are you doing?
• B: 숙제했어요.(Sukjehaesseoyo.) → I did my homework.

Dialogue 2

• A: 몇 시에 점심을 먹었어요?(Myeot sie jeomsimeul meogeosseoyo?) → What time did you eat lunch?
• B: 보통 1시에 점심을 먹었어요.(Botong han sie jeomsimeul meogeosseoyo.) → I ate lunch at 1 o’clock.

Dialogue 3

• A: 어제 누구를 만났어요?(Eoje nugureul mannasseoyo?) → Who did you meet yesterday?
• B: 친구를 만났어요.(Chingureul mannasseoyo.) → I met a friend.