Verbs: Past Tense

01

Stems ending in 'a' or 'o' (Bright Vowels)

If the last vowel of the verb stem is ㅏ (a) or ㅗ (o), you add the suffix 았 (at).

If the stem ends in a consonant, 았 (at) is simply added.

• 작다

  chak·dajak·dachak·dacak·ta

  to be small

• 작았어요.

  chag·ass·ŏ·yo.jag·ass·eo·yo.chag·ass·ŏ·yo.cag·ass·e·yo.

  It was small.

• 좋다

  cho·tʰajo·tacho·t'aco·tha

  to be good

• 좋았어요.

  cho·ass·ŏ·yo.jo·ass·eo·yo.cho·ass·ŏ·yo.co·ass·e·yo.

  It was good.

If the stem ends in a vowel, it usually merges with 았 (at) to form a contraction:

• 가다 (ka·daga·daka·daka·ta) ends in ㅏ (a). 가 (kagakaka) + 았 (at) becomes 갔 (katgatkatkat).
• 오다 (o·dao·dao·dao·ta) ends in ㅗ (o). 오 (o) + 았 (at) becomes 왔 (wat).

• 학교에 갔어요.

  hak·gyo·e gass·ŏ·yo.hak·gyo·e gass·eo·yo.hak·gyo·e gass·ŏ·yo.hak·kyo·ey kass·e·yo.

  I went to school.

• 친구가 왔어요.

  chʰin·gu·ga wass·ŏ·yo.chin·gu·ga wass·eo·yo.ch'in·gu·ga wass·ŏ·yo.chin·ku·ka wass·e·yo.

  A friend came.

• 영화를 봤어요.

  yŏng·hwa·rŭl bwass·ŏ·yo.yeong·hwa·reul bwass·eo·yo.yŏng·hwa·rŭl bwass·ŏ·yo.yeng·hwa·lul pwass·e·yo.

  I watched a movie.

02

Stems ending in other vowels (Dark Vowels)

If the last vowel of the verb stem is anything other than ㅏ (a) or ㅗ (o)—such as ㅓ (ŏeoŏe), ㅜ (u), ㅣ (i), ㅡ (ŭeuŭu), or ㅐ (æaeaeay)—you add the suffix 었 (ŏteotŏtet).

If the stem ends in a consonant, simply add 었 (ŏteotŏtet).

• 먹다

  mŏk·dameok·damŏk·damek·ta

  to eat

• 밥을 먹었어요.

  pab·ŭl mŏg·ŏss·ŏ·yo.bab·eul meog·eoss·eo·yo.pab·ŭl mŏg·ŏss·ŏ·yo.pab·ul meg·ess·e·yo.

  I ate a meal.

• 입다

  ip·daip·daip·daip·ta

  to wear

• 옷을 입었어요.

  os·ŭl ib·ŏss·ŏ·yo.os·eul ib·eoss·eo·yo.os·ŭl ib·ŏss·ŏ·yo.os·ul ib·ess·e·yo.

  I put on clothes.

If the stem ends in a vowel, contraction usually occurs:

• 서다 (sŏ·daseo·dasŏ·dase·ta) ends in ㅓ (ŏeoŏe). 서 (sŏseosŏse) + 었 (ŏteotŏtet) becomes 섰 (sŏtseotsŏtset).
• 배우다 (pæ·u·dabae·u·dapae·u·dapay·u·ta) ends in ㅜ (u). 배우 (pæ·ubae·upae·upay·u) + 었 (ŏteotŏtet) becomes 배웠 (pæ·wotbae·wotpae·wŏtpay·wet).
• 마시다 (ma·si·dama·si·dama·si·dama·si·ta) ends in ㅣ (i). 마시 (ma·si) + 었 (ŏteotŏtet) becomes 마셨 (ma·syŏtma·syeotma·syŏtma·syet).
• 쓰다 (ssŭ·dasseu·dassŭ·dassu·ta) ends in ㅡ (ŭeuŭu). The ㅡ (ŭeuŭu) is dropped, so 쓰 (ssŭsseussŭssu) + 었 (ŏteotŏtet) becomes 썼 (ssŏtsseotssŏtsset).

• 한국어를 배웠어요.

  han·gug·ŏ·rŭl bæ·woss·ŏ·yo.han·gug·eo·reul bae·woss·eo·yo.han·gug·ŏ·rŭl bae·wŏss·ŏ·yo.han·kug·e·lul pay·wess·e·yo.

  I learned Korean.

• 커피를 마셨어요.

  kʰŏ·pʰi·rŭl ma·syŏss·ŏ·yo.keo·pi·reul ma·syeoss·eo·yo.k'ŏ·p'i·rŭl ma·syŏss·ŏ·yo.khe·phi·lul ma·syess·e·yo.

  I drank coffee.

• 편지를 썼어요.

  pʰyŏn·ji·rŭl ssŏss·ŏ·yo.pyeon·ji·reul sseoss·eo·yo.p'yŏn·ji·rŭl ssŏss·ŏ·yo.phyen·ci·lul ssess·e·yo.

  I wrote a letter.

03

Verbs ending in 'Hada'

Verbs ending in 하다 (ha·daha·daha·daha·ta) follow a unique rule. 하다 (ha·daha·daha·daha·ta) changes to 했 (hæthaethaethayt) in the past tense. This applies to the vast number of verbs formed by "Noun + 하다 (ha·daha·daha·daha·ta)".

• 공부하다

  kong·bu·ha·dagong·bu·ha·dakong·bu·ha·dakong·pu·ha·ta

  to study

• 어제 공부했어요.

  ŏ·je gong·bu·hæss·ŏ·yo.eo·je gong·bu·haess·eo·yo.ŏ·je gong·bu·haess·ŏ·yo.e·cey kong·pu·hayss·e·yo.

  I studied yesterday.

• 사랑하다

  sa·rang·ha·dasa·rang·ha·dasa·rang·ha·dasa·lang·ha·ta

  to love

• 우리는 사랑했어요.

  u·ri·nŭn sa·rang·hæss·ŏ·yo.u·ri·neun sa·rang·haess·eo·yo.u·ri·nŭn sa·rang·haess·ŏ·yo.u·li·nun sa·lang·hayss·e·yo.

  We loved.

04

Irregular Verbs in Past Tense

Some verbs change their stem shape before the past tense suffix (았 (at) or 었 (ŏteotŏtet)) is added.

The ㄷ (t) Irregular

For verbs like 듣다 (tŭt·dadeut·datŭt·datut·ta) - to listen or 걷다 (kŏt·dageot·dakŏt·daket·ta) - to walk, the final ㄷ (t) changes to ㄹ (l) when followed by a vowel. Since the past tense suffix starts with a vowel (었 (ŏteotŏtet)), this change always happens.

• 음악을 들었어요.

  ŭm·ag·ŭl dŭr·ŏss·ŏ·yo.eum·ag·eul deur·eoss·eo·yo.ŭm·ag·ŭl dŭr·ŏss·ŏ·yo.um·ag·ul tur·ess·e·yo.

  I listened to music.

• 공원을 걸었어요.

  kong·won·ŭl gŏr·ŏss·ŏ·yo.gong·won·eul geor·eoss·eo·yo.kong·wŏn·ŭl gŏr·ŏss·ŏ·yo.kong·wen·ul ker·ess·e·yo.

  I walked in the park.

The ㅂ (p) Irregular

For descriptive verbs like 춥다 (chʰup·dachup·dach'up·dachup·ta) - to be cold or 덥다 (tŏp·dadeop·datŏp·datep·ta) - to be hot, the ㅂ (p) is removed and replaced with 우 (u). Then, you add 었 (ŏteotŏtet), which combines to form 웠 (wotwotwŏtwet).

• 날씨가 추웠어요.

  nal·ssi·ga chʰu·woss·ŏ·yo.nal·ssi·ga chu·woss·eo·yo.nal·ssi·ga ch'u·wŏss·ŏ·yo.nal·ssi·ka chu·wess·e·yo.

  The weather was cold.

• 매웠어요.

  mæ·woss·ŏ·yo.mae·woss·eo·yo.mae·wŏss·ŏ·yo.may·wess·e·yo.

  It was spicy.

Two verbs take 오 (o) instead of 우 (u): 돕다 (top·dadop·datop·datop·ta) - to help and 곱다 (kop·dagop·dakop·dakop·ta) - to be fine, lovely. Their ㅂ (p) becomes 오 (o), which merges with 았 (at) into 왔 (wat): 도왔어요 (to·wass·ŏ·yodo·wass·eo·yoto·wass·ŏ·yoto·wass·e·yo), 고왔어요 (ko·wass·ŏ·yogo·wass·eo·yoko·wass·ŏ·yoko·wass·e·yo).

• 친구를 도왔어요.

  chʰin·gu·rŭl do·wass·ŏ·yo.chin·gu·reul do·wass·eo·yo.ch'in·gu·rŭl do·wass·ŏ·yo.chin·ku·lul to·wass·e·yo.

  I helped a friend.

05

Past Tense of 'To Be' (이다 (i·da))

The verb 이다 (i·dai·dai·dai·ta) - to be has two forms in the past tense depending on whether the previous noun ends in a vowel or a consonant.

• After a consonant: 이었어요 (i·ŏss·ŏ·yoi·eoss·eo·yoi·ŏss·ŏ·yoi·ess·e·yo)
• After a vowel: 였어요 (yŏss·ŏ·yoyeoss·eo·yoyŏss·ŏ·yoyess·e·yo)

• 학생이었어요.

  hak·sæng·i·ŏss·ŏ·yo.hak·saeng·i·eoss·eo·yo.hak·saeng·i·ŏss·ŏ·yo.hak·sayng·i·ess·e·yo.

  I was a student.

• 의사였어요.

  ŭi·sa·yŏss·ŏ·yo.ui·sa·yeoss·eo·yo.ŭi·sa·yŏss·ŏ·yo.uy·sa·yess·e·yo.

  She was a doctor.