目錄
The Korean past tense ending 「-았/었어요」 is very common in everyday conversation. You use it when talking about where you went yesterday, what you ate in the morning, or what a certain restaurant was like. 「가다」 becomes 「갔어요」, 「오다」 becomes 「왔어요」, and 「보다」 becomes 「봤어요」, so it can be difficult to recognize the original verb at first. These changes are related to the vowel in the stem and to contraction. Below, we will first organize the attachment rules, then look at how this form is used for past actions, past states, and experiences.
Why is the Korean past tense 「-았/었어요」 essential for basic conversation?
「-았/었어요」 is one of the most common past-tense endings in everyday Korean. It is indispensable when talking about what you did yesterday, what you just ate, or where you have been before. If you only know 「-아요/어요」, it is easy to use the wrong ending as soon as the conversation shifts to something that has already happened.
「먹어요」 and 「먹었어요」 may sometimes both simply be translated as “eat” in Chinese, but the time reference is different in Korean. 「먹어요」 can refer to the present, a habitual action, or, depending on context, an upcoming plan. 「먹었어요」, by contrast, indicates that the act of eating happened before the moment of speaking.
Korean past tense 「-았/었어요」 attachment rules: vowel choice and common contractions
「-았/었어요」 can attach to verb and adjective stems. In noun predicates, 「이다」 changes to 「이었어요／였어요」. Whether a verb or adjective takes one form or the other is determined not by its Chinese translation, but by the vowel in the final syllable of the stem.
| Type | Attachment pattern | Example |
| Final stem vowel is ㅏ or ㅗ | Stem + -았어요 | 가다 → 갔어요、좋다 → 좋았어요 |
| Final stem vowel is not ㅏ or ㅗ | Stem + -었어요 | 먹다 → 먹었어요、읽다 → 읽었어요 |
| 하다 verbs | 하다 → 했어요 | 공부하다 → 공부했어요 |
| Common contractions | Stem vowel contracts with 「-았/었어요」 | 오다 → 왔어요、보다 → 봤어요 |
| Noun ends in a consonant | Noun + 이었어요 | 학생이다 → 학생이었어요 |
| Noun ends in a vowel | Noun + 였어요 | 의사이다 → 의사였어요 |
| 아니다 | 아니다 → 아니었어요 | 학생이 아니다 → 학생이 아니었어요 |
When 「가다」 and 「오다」 take 「-았어요」, they contract to 「갔어요」 and 「왔어요」 respectively. 「보다」 becomes 「봤어요」. 「하다」 would originally form 「하였어요」, but in everyday use it is usually contracted to 「했어요」.
Usage ① of 「-았/었어요」｜Actions that happened before the moment of speaking
The most basic use of 「-았/었어요」 is to show that an action occurred before the time of speaking. It commonly appears with time adverbs such as 어제, 아까, 지난주, and 방금, and is often translated into English with a simple past form such as “did,” “ate,” or “went.” Whether a sentence specifically implies that something was fully completed still depends on the verb and context; the past tense should not automatically be interpreted as completion in every case.
- Example: 어제 친구를 만났어요.
Romanization: eo-je chin-gu-reul man-na-sseo-yo
Translation: I met a friend yesterday.
「만나다」 becomes 「만났어요」 in the past tense, showing that meeting the friend happened yesterday. - Example: 아침에 빵을 먹었어요.
Romanization: a-chi-me ppang-eul meo-geo-sseo-yo
Translation: I ate bread in the morning.
The stem of 「먹다」 is 「먹-」, and its final vowel is ㅓ, so it takes 「-었어요」. - Example: 지난주에 영화를 봤어요.
Romanization: ji-nan-ju-e yeong-hwa-reul bwa-sseo-yo
Translation: I watched a movie last week.
When 「보다」 takes 「-았어요」, it contracts to 「봤어요」. This sentence is describing the activity of watching a movie last week.
Usage ② of 「-았/었어요」｜Past states or feelings
「-았/었어요」 can also attach to adjectives to show that a state held true in the past. In this use, English does not necessarily express a completed action; it is more often rendered as “was…” or “used to be…”. The focus is not on an action being completed, but on looking back at a state or feeling at a particular point in time.
- Example: 그 식당은 분위기가 좋았어요.
Romanization: geu sik-dang-eun bun-wi-gi-ga jo-a-sseo-yo
Translation: That restaurant had a nice atmosphere.
「좋았어요」 describes the impression at the time of the meal and does not guarantee that the situation is still the same now. - Example: 어제 날씨가 추웠어요.
Romanization: eo-je nal-ssi-ga chu-wo-sseo-yo
Translation: It was cold yesterday.
「춥다」 becomes 「추웠어요」 to describe yesterday’s weather. - Example: 시험이 생각보다 어려웠어요.
Romanization: si-heo-mi saeng-gak-bo-da eo-ryeo-wo-sseo-yo
Translation: The exam was harder than I expected.
「어려웠어요」 looks back on how difficult the exam was at the time; this is not an action sentence.
Usage ③ of 「-았/었어요」｜Questions that check whether something has been completed
When 「-았/었어요」 is used in a question, the ending itself usually remains unchanged, while the speaker raises the intonation at the end. It can be used to ask about something that happened in the past, or to check whether something has been completed by the present moment. Depending on the situation, answers may use forms such as 「했어요」, 「안 했어요」, or 「아직 못 했어요」.
- Example: 숙제를 다 했어요?
Romanization: suk-je-reul da hae-sseo-yo
Translation: Have you finished all your homework?
「했어요?」 checks whether the homework has already been completed at the present point. - Example: 어제 뭐 했어요?
Romanization: eo-je mwo hae-sseo-yo
Translation: What did you do yesterday?
This sentence asks about what happened yesterday, and the answer will normally also use the past tense. - Example: 호텔을 예약했어요?
Romanization: ho-te-reul ye-yak-hae-sseo-yo
Translation: Have you booked the hotel?
「예약했어요?」 checks whether the hotel reservation has already been taken care of.
Usage ④ of 「-았/었어요」｜Past negation with 「안」 and 「-지 않았어요」
To say that something was not done in the past, you can use either 「안 + past tense」 or attach 「-지 않았어요」 to the stem. 「안」 comes before the verb or adjective and produces a shorter sentence, while 「-지 않았어요」 attaches the negation after the stem and is a more complete form. With 하다-type verbs, 「안」 is often placed before 「하다」, as in 「공부 안 했어요」. The two forms are similar in meaning in most cases, though the actual nuance still depends on context.
- Example: 어제 운동을 안 했어요.
Romanization: eo-je un-dong-eul an hae-sseo-yo
Translation: I didn’t exercise yesterday.
「안 했어요」 is very common in everyday conversation and directly states that the speaker did not exercise yesterday. - Example: 아침을 안 먹었어요.
Romanization: a-chi-meul an meo-geo-sseo-yo
Translation: I didn’t eat breakfast.
「안」 comes before 「먹었어요」 to indicate that the act of eating breakfast did not happen. - Example: 그 영화를 보지 않았어요.
Romanization: geu yeong-hwa-reul bo-ji a-na-sseo-yo
Translation: I didn’t watch that movie.
「보지 않았어요」 is slightly more complete than 「안 봤어요」 and is commonly used in more formal explanations or when clearly denying that something happened.
Usage ⑤ of 「-았/었어요」｜Past experience with 「-아/어 보다」
「-아/어 보다」 means to actually try doing an action. In the past-tense form 「-아/어 봤어요」, it is often used to say that someone has done or personally tried something before. For example, 「제주도에 갔어요」 simply reports that someone went to Jeju Island, while 「제주도에 가 봤어요」 puts the focus on having had that experience. It can also simply refer to trying something once; for example, 「한국 음식을 만들어 봤어요」 carries the sense of having personally tried making Korean food.
- Example: 제주도에 가 봤어요.
Romanization: je-ju-do-e ga bwa-sseo-yo
Translation: I’ve been to Jeju Island.
「가 봤어요」 emphasizes having had the experience of going to Jeju Island, rather than simply stating that a particular trip took place. - Example: 한국 음식을 만들어 봤어요.
Romanization: han-guk eum-si-geul man-deu-reo bwa-sseo-yo
Translation: I’ve made Korean food before.
「만들어 봤어요」 indicates having tried making it before and carries the sense of personally giving it a try. - Example: 한복을 입어 봤어요.
Romanization: han-bo-geul i-beo bwa-sseo-yo
Translation: I’ve worn hanbok before.
「입어 봤어요」 indicates having the experience of wearing hanbok and is often used when talking about travel or cultural experiences.
What is the difference between Korean 「-아요/어요」 and 「-았/었어요」? Present vs. past
| Comparison | -아요/어요 | -았/었어요 |
| Time reference | Present, habits, general states; depending on context, it can also refer to a near-future plan | Past; in some sentences, it can also carry a sense of completion or a continuing result |
| Example | 먹어요 | 먹었어요 |
| Typical meaning in English | eat, usually eat; when clearly expressing an action in progress, 「먹고 있어요」 is commonly used | ate, have eaten |
| Common mistake | Interpreting the present form directly as “be doing” | Forgetting the vowel rule and contraction patterns |
▌How do time adverbs affect tense? 어제 takes 「-았/었어요」
❌ Less precise: 어제 빵을 먹어요.
✅ Correct: 어제 빵을 먹었어요.
Here, the speaker is looking back on something that happened yesterday, so 「먹었어요」 is used. The present form can sometimes appear in narrative or special contexts, but in everyday conversation, when simply saying what you ate yesterday, the past tense is the most natural choice.
▌Adjectives also have a past tense: the difference between 「좋아요」 and 「좋았어요」
❌ Less precise: 어제 날씨가 좋아요.
✅ Correct: 어제 날씨가 좋았어요.
When describing yesterday’s weather, the adjective also needs to be in the past tense. Here, 「좋았어요」 is not an action; it describes a past state.
Everyday Korean with the past tense 「-았/었어요」: plans, restaurants, and checking homework
In conversation, 「-았/었어요」 is often used to report activities, share impressions, and check whether something has been finished. Questions about what someone ate in the morning, where they went yesterday, or what a restaurant was like all commonly use the past tense.
▌Situation ①｜A friend asks what you did yesterday
A：어제 뭐 했어요?
eo-je mwo hae-sseo-yo
What did you do yesterday?
B：친구를 만나고 영화를 봤어요.
chin-gu-reul man-na-go yeong-hwa-reul bwa-sseo-yo
I met a friend and watched a movie.
📌 Grammar Point: 「했어요」 and 「봤어요」 are both used to look back on things that happened yesterday.
▌Situation ②｜Talking about a restaurant experience
A：그 식당 어땠어요?
geu sik-dang eo-ttae-sseo-yo
How was that restaurant?
B：음식도 맛있었고 분위기도 좋았어요.
eum-sik-do ma-si-sseot-kko bun-wi-gi-do jo-a-sseo-yo
The food was good, and the atmosphere was nice too.
📌 Grammar Point: 「맛있었고」 and 「좋았어요」 are used to look back on past impressions.
▌Situation ③｜Checking whether homework is finished
A：숙제 다 했어요?
suk-je da hae-sseo-yo
Did you finish all your homework?
B：아직 다 못 했어요.
a-jik da mot hae-sseo-yo
I haven’t finished all of it yet.
📌 Grammar Point: Both the question and the answer use the past tense, with the focus on whether the task has been completed by the present moment.
Cultural Notes:
- In everyday Korean, the past tense is often used to check in on someone. 「밥 먹었어요?」 literally asks whether someone has eaten, but among people who know each other well, it can also carry a caring tone. It is not necessarily equivalent to a general greeting, however, and the nuance still depends on the relationship and the situation.
- 「-았/었어요」 belongs to the 해요 style, and the final 「요」 keeps the sentence polite. Among people who are close, 「요」 is often dropped, producing forms such as 「먹었어」.
- Korean experience expressions often use 「-아/어 보다」 together with the past tense, as in 「가 봤어요」. Compared with 「갔어요」, it places more emphasis on whether the speaker has had that experience.
How does Korean 「-았/었어요」 compare with Japanese 「〜ました／〜た」?
◆ Similar grammar: Japanese 「〜ました／〜た」
Japanese 「〜ました」 and 「〜た」 can both express the past. 「〜ました」 is polite style, while 「〜た」 is plain style. In terms of politeness, Korean 「-았/었어요」 is relatively close to Japanese 「〜ました」, while 「-았/었어」 without 「요」 is relatively close to Japanese 「〜た」.
- Example: 昨日、映画を見ました。
Kana: きのう、えいがをみました。
Translation: I watched a movie yesterday.
This sentence shows that watching the movie happened yesterday, giving it the same time relationship as the Korean sentence 「어제 영화를 봤어요」. - Example: 昨日の天気はよかったです。
Kana: きのうのてんきはよかったです。
Translation: The weather was good yesterday.
Japanese adjectives also have past forms that are used to describe a state at that time.
◆ Core difference from 「-았/었어요」:
In Korean, verbs and adjectives take either 「-았어요」 or 「-었어요」 depending on the vowel in the stem, and contractions are also common. Japanese, by contrast, changes verbs into 「〜ました／〜た」 according to their conjugation class, while adjectives have their own past forms. Both languages can express the past, but they form it in different ways.
When you see 「갔어요」, 「왔어요」, or 「봤어요」, there is no need to memorize them as three completely new words. They come from 「가다」, 「오다」, and 「보다」 respectively, with the past-tense ending contracted into the stem. The same applies to 「했어요」, which is the most common past form of 「하다」.
A useful way to practice is to use things you would genuinely say in daily life, such as where you went yesterday, what you just ate, what the weather was like yesterday, or whether you have ever been to Korea. The sentences do not need to be long. The important thing is to see the dictionary form and the changed form together. With enough exposure, forms such as 「먹었어요」, 「좋았어요」, and 「가 봤어요」 will no longer blur together as if they were all the same kind of past form.
FAQs
「-았/었어요」 indicates that an action or state occurred or held true in the past. It can express actions such as eating, going, or doing something, as well as past states such as something being good at the time or the weather being cold before.
The choice mainly depends on the final vowel of the stem. If the vowel is ㅏ or ㅗ, 「-았어요」 is generally used. Other vowels generally take 「-었어요」. Verbs ending in 하다 become 「했어요」.
Because when the stem 「가」 from 「가다」 combines with 「-았어요」, the forms contract to 「갔어요」. In the same way, 「보다」 becomes 「봤어요」 and 「오다」 becomes 「왔어요」.
Both mean that something was not done in the past. 「안 했어요」 is shorter and more conversational, while 「하지 않았어요」 is a more complete form and is also well suited to formal explanations or written contexts.
Yes. The past tense does not necessarily refer to the distant past. As long as the event has already been completed by the time of speaking, 「먹었어요」 can be used. It is natural to answer 「밥 먹었어요」 even if you have only just finished eating.