Have you ever wanted to tell a Korean friend what you did yesterday, where you traveled last weekend, or what you ate for dinner?
To talk about completed actions and past situations, you need to understand the Korean past tense.
One of the most useful grammar patterns is A/V-았/었어요, the everyday polite past-tense form of Korean verbs and descriptive predicates.
For example:
먹어요 → 먹었어요
Eat / Am eating → Ate
🔊 Listen: 먹어요
🔊 Listen: 먹었어요
가요 → 갔어요
Go / Am going → Went
🔊 Listen: 가요
🔊 Listen: 갔어요
공부해요 → 공부했어요
Study / Am studying → Studied
🔊 Listen: 공부해요
🔊 Listen: 공부했어요
The good news is that Korean past-tense conjugation follows recognizable patterns. Once you understand how the endings work, you can use them with hundreds of everyday verbs and adjectives.
In this guide, you’ll learn the rules for -았어요, -었어요, and -했어요, common vowel contractions, irregular conjugations, past-tense questions, natural conversations, and listening exercises.
You will also practice describing your own day in Korean.
Level: Beginner–Lower Intermediate (A1–A2)
Study time: Approximately 25–35 minutes, plus listening practice
What you’ll learn: Past-tense conjugation, irregular verbs, present-versus-past comparisons, past time expressions, questions, negative sentences, and everyday storytelling.
How to study: Read each present-tense form first, predict the past-tense form, then play the two recordings separately. Repeat the past-tense sentence without looking at the answer.
Table of Contents
- 1. What Is the Korean Past Tense?
- 2. Rule 1: When to Use -았어요
- 3. Rule 2: When to Use -었어요
- 4. Rule 3: 하다 Verbs Become 했어요
- 5. Korean Past Tense Irregular Verbs
- 6. Korean Present Tense vs. Past Tense: Listening Comparison
- 7. Essential Korean Past Time Expressions
- 8. How to Ask Past-Tense Questions in Korean
- 9. How to Make Negative Sentences in the Korean Past Tense
- 10. Real-Life Korean Past-Tense Conversations
- 11. How to Tell a Short Story About Yesterday in Korean
- 12. Common Korean Past Tense Mistakes
- 13. Korean Past Tense Listening Quiz
- 14. Korean Past Tense Conjugation Practice Quiz
- 15. Past Tense Speaking Challenge: Talk About Your Weekend
- 16. Frequently Asked Questions About Korean Past Tense
- Final Review: Master Korean Past Tense A/V-았/었어요
1. What Is the Korean Past Tense?
In Korean, the everyday polite past tense is commonly formed using -았어요, -었어요, or -했어요.
These endings describe actions or situations located in the past.
Compare:
오늘 학교에 가요.
“I go to school today.”
🔊 Listen: 오늘 학교에 가요.
어제 학교에 갔어요.
“I went to school yesterday.”
🔊 Listen: 어제 학교에 갔어요.
The verb changes from 가요 to 갔어요.
What Does A/V Mean?
The abbreviation A/V indicates that the grammar pattern can be used with:
- Action verbs, such as 먹다 (to eat), 가다 (to go), and 공부하다 (to study)
- Descriptive predicates, such as 춥다 (to be cold), 좋다 (to be good), and 바쁘다 (to be busy)
For example:
어제 비가 왔어요.
“It rained yesterday.”
🔊 Listen: 어제 비가 왔어요.
어제 날씨가 추웠어요.
“It was cold yesterday.”
🔊 Listen: 어제 날씨가 추웠어요.
The first sentence describes a past event. The second describes a past state.
Basic Past-Tense Formula
Start with the dictionary form, remove -다, and add the correct past-tense ending.
For regular stems:
| Stem vowel | Past-tense pattern |
|---|---|
| Final vowel ㅏ or ㅗ | -았어요 |
| Other final vowels | -었어요 |
| 하다 | 했어요 |
The final written result may involve vowel contractions or other stem changes.
A Quick Comparison
| Dictionary form | Present | Past |
|---|---|---|
| 가다 | 가요 | 갔어요 |
| 먹다 | 먹어요 | 먹었어요 |
| 보다 | 봐요 | 봤어요 |
| 마시다 | 마셔요 | 마셨어요 |
| 공부하다 | 공부해요 | 공부했어요 |
Let’s practice these forms individually.
🔊 Listen: 갔어요
🔊 Listen: 먹었어요
🔊 Listen: 봤어요
🔊 Listen: 마셨어요
🔊 Listen: 공부했어요
Important: English uses many irregular past-tense verbs, such as go → went. Korean past-tense forms are generally built by attaching past markers to a verb stem, although some Korean stems also change.
2. Rule 1: When to Use -았어요
When the last vowel of a regular verb or adjective stem is ㅏ or ㅗ, the past-tense pattern generally uses -았어요.
However, the vowels may combine, changing the spelling.
Consonant-Ending Stems with ㅏ or ㅗ
Consider the verb:
앉다 — To sit
Remove 다:
앉다 → 앉
Then add 았어요:
앉 + 았어요 → 앉았어요
앉아요 → 앉았어요
Sit / Am sitting → Sat
🔊 Listen: 앉아요
🔊 Listen: 앉았어요
Another example:
찾다 — To find / look for
찾다 → 찾 → 찾았어요
찾아요 → 찾았어요
🔊 Listen: 찾아요
🔊 Listen: 찾았어요
Regular -았어요 Conjugation Table
| Dictionary form | Meaning | Past tense |
|---|---|---|
| 앉다 | To sit | 앉았어요 |
| 찾다 | To find | 찾았어요 |
| 받다 | To receive | 받았어요 |
| 살다 | To live | 살았어요 |
| 놀다 | To play / hang out | 놀았어요 |
| 좋다 | To be good | 좋았어요 |
| 많다 | To be many / much | 많았어요 |
| 작다 | To be small | 작았어요 |
Listen to the Past-Tense Forms
🔊 Listen: 앉았어요
🔊 Listen: 찾았어요
🔊 Listen: 받았어요
🔊 Listen: 살았어요
🔊 Listen: 놀았어요
🔊 Listen: 좋았어요
🔊 Listen: 많았어요
🔊 Listen: 작았어요
Why 가다 Becomes 갔어요
The verb 가다 has the stem 가-.
When it combines with -았어요, the repeated vowel contracts.
가 + 았어요 → 갔어요
가다 → 갔어요
“To go → Went”
🔊 Listen: 갔어요
Do not use 가았어요 as the standard written past-tense form.
Why 보다 Becomes 봤어요
The verb 보다 has the stem 보-.
The vowels ㅗ and ㅏ combine into ㅘ.
보 + 았어요 → 봤어요
보다 → 봤어요
“To see/watch → Saw/watched”
🔊 Listen: 봤어요
More Vowel Contraction Examples
| Dictionary form | Present | Past |
|---|---|---|
| 가다 | 가요 | 갔어요 |
| 오다 | 와요 | 왔어요 |
| 보다 | 봐요 | 봤어요 |
| 사다 | 사요 | 샀어요 |
| 만나다 | 만나요 | 만났어요 |
🔊 Listen: 갔어요
🔊 Listen: 왔어요
🔊 Listen: 봤어요
🔊 Listen: 샀어요
🔊 Listen: 만났어요
Practice with Complete Sentences
어제 친구를 만났어요.
“I met my friend yesterday.”
🔊 Listen: 어제 친구를 만났어요.
지난주에 영화를 봤어요.
“I watched a movie last week.”
🔊 Listen: 지난주에 영화를 봤어요.
작년에 한국에 갔어요.
“I went to Korea last year.”
🔊 Listen: 작년에 한국에 갔어요.
어제 날씨가 좋았어요.
“The weather was nice yesterday.”
🔊 Listen: 어제 날씨가 좋았어요.
Notice how the same ending works with action verbs and descriptive predicates.
3. Rule 2: When to Use -었어요
For regular stems whose final vowel is not ㅏ or ㅗ, the past-tense pattern generally uses -었어요.
The final written form may still involve vowel contractions.
Basic Examples
먹다 → 먹었어요
“To eat → Ate”
🔊 Listen: 먹었어요
읽다 → 읽었어요
“To read → Read (past)”
🔊 Listen: 읽었어요
웃다 → 웃었어요
“To laugh → Laughed”
🔊 Listen: 웃었어요
Regular -었어요 Conjugation Table
| Dictionary form | Meaning | Past tense |
|---|---|---|
| 먹다 | To eat | 먹었어요 |
| 읽다 | To read | 읽었어요 |
| 웃다 | To laugh | 웃었어요 |
| 입다 | To wear | 입었어요 |
| 열다 | To open | 열었어요 |
| 만들다 | To make | 만들었어요 |
| 쉬다 | To rest | 쉬었어요 |
| 재미있다 | To be interesting | 재미있었어요 |
| 없다 | Not to have / not to exist | 없었어요 |
Listen to Every Form
🔊 Listen: 먹었어요
🔊 Listen: 읽었어요
🔊 Listen: 웃었어요
🔊 Listen: 입었어요
🔊 Listen: 열었어요
🔊 Listen: 만들었어요
🔊 Listen: 쉬었어요
🔊 Listen: 재미있었어요
🔊 Listen: 없었어요
Why 마시다 Becomes 마셨어요
Look at the verb 마시다.
The stem is 마시-.
The vowel ㅣ combines with the ㅓ of the past ending.
마시 + 었어요 → 마셨어요
마시다 → 마셨어요
“To drink → Drank”
🔊 Listen: 마셨어요
Another example:
기다리다 → 기다렸어요
“To wait → Waited”
🔊 Listen: 기다렸어요
Why 배우다 Becomes 배웠어요
The stem 배우- ends in ㅜ.
The vowel combination ㅜ + ㅓ produces ㅝ.
배우 + 었어요 → 배웠어요
배우다 → 배웠어요
“To learn → Learned”
🔊 Listen: 배웠어요
The same pattern appears in:
주다 → 줬어요
“To give → Gave”
🔊 Listen: 줬어요
Why 보내다 Becomes 보냈어요
The verb 보내다 has the stem 보내-.
In the standard written form, the past marker combines with the stem without adding another visible 어 syllable.
보내다 → 보냈어요
“To send → Sent”
🔊 Listen: 보냈어요
Similarly:
세다 → 셌어요
“To count → Counted”
🔊 Listen: 셌어요
Useful Vowel Contraction Table
| Dictionary form | Present | Past |
|---|---|---|
| 마시다 | 마셔요 | 마셨어요 |
| 기다리다 | 기다려요 | 기다렸어요 |
| 배우다 | 배워요 | 배웠어요 |
| 주다 | 줘요 | 줬어요 |
| 보내다 | 보내요 | 보냈어요 |
| 켜다 | 켜요 | 켰어요 |
🔊 Listen: 마셨어요
🔊 Listen: 기다렸어요
🔊 Listen: 배웠어요
🔊 Listen: 줬어요
🔊 Listen: 보냈어요
🔊 Listen: 켰어요
Practice with Complete Sentences
어제 김치를 먹었어요.
“I ate kimchi yesterday.”
🔊 Listen: 어제 김치를 먹었어요.
아침에 커피를 마셨어요.
“I drank coffee in the morning.”
🔊 Listen: 아침에 커피를 마셨어요.
지난주에 한국어를 배웠어요.
“I learned Korean last week.”
🔊 Listen: 지난주에 한국어를 배웠어요.
친구에게 메시지를 보냈어요.
“I sent a message to my friend.”
🔊 Listen: 친구에게 메시지를 보냈어요.
어제 집에서 쉬었어요.
“I rested at home yesterday.”
🔊 Listen: 어제 집에서 쉬었어요.
4. Rule 3: 하다 Verbs Become 했어요
Many common Korean verbs end in 하다.
These verbs are especially useful for describing daily activities.
In the everyday polite past tense:
하다 → 했어요
The form 했어요 is a contraction of 하였어요.
Essential 하다 Past-Tense Verbs
| Dictionary form | English | Past tense |
|---|---|---|
| 공부하다 | To study | 공부했어요 |
| 일하다 | To work | 일했어요 |
| 운동하다 | To exercise | 운동했어요 |
| 요리하다 | To cook | 요리했어요 |
| 청소하다 | To clean | 청소했어요 |
| 전화하다 | To call | 전화했어요 |
| 쇼핑하다 | To shop | 쇼핑했어요 |
| 여행하다 | To travel | 여행했어요 |
| 시작하다 | To start | 시작했어요 |
| 좋아하다 | To like | 좋아했어요 |
Listen to the Conjugations
🔊 Listen: 공부했어요
🔊 Listen: 일했어요
🔊 Listen: 운동했어요
🔊 Listen: 요리했어요
🔊 Listen: 청소했어요
🔊 Listen: 전화했어요
🔊 Listen: 쇼핑했어요
🔊 Listen: 여행했어요
🔊 Listen: 시작했어요
🔊 Listen: 좋아했어요
Present vs. Past with 하다
공부해요 — I study.
🔊 Listen: 공부해요
공부했어요 — I studied.
🔊 Listen: 공부했어요
운동해요 — I exercise.
🔊 Listen: 운동해요
운동했어요 — I exercised.
🔊 Listen: 운동했어요
전화해요 — I call.
🔊 Listen: 전화해요
전화했어요 — I called.
🔊 Listen: 전화했어요
Everyday Sentences
어제 두 시간 동안 공부했어요.
“I studied for two hours yesterday.”
🔊 Listen: 어제 두 시간 동안 공부했어요.
주말에 친구와 쇼핑했어요.
“I went shopping with my friend over the weekend.”
🔊 Listen: 주말에 친구와 쇼핑했어요.
어제 저녁에 요리했어요.
“I cooked dinner yesterday evening.”
🔊 Listen: 어제 저녁에 요리했어요.
어젯밤에 엄마에게 전화했어요.
“I called my mom last night.”
🔊 Listen: 어젯밤에 엄마에게 전화했어요.
Beginner tip: If you already know the present form of a 하다 verb, changing it to the past tense is straightforward: 해요 → 했어요.
5. Korean Past Tense Irregular Verbs
Some Korean verbs and adjectives change their stems before past-tense endings.
These are commonly called irregular conjugations.
They may look difficult at first, but the most frequently used patterns are predictable once you recognize them.
ㅡ Drop: 쓰다, 바쁘다, 예쁘다
When a stem ends in ㅡ, that vowel commonly drops before the past ending.
For a multisyllable stem, the preceding vowel normally helps determine whether the result uses 아 or 어.
Examples:
쓰다 → 썼어요
“To write/use → Wrote/used”
🔊 Listen: 썼어요
바쁘다 → 바빴어요
“To be busy → Was busy”
🔊 Listen: 바빴어요
예쁘다 → 예뻤어요
“To be pretty → Was pretty”
🔊 Listen: 예뻤어요
Compare:
| Dictionary form | Present | Past |
|---|---|---|
| 쓰다 | 써요 | 썼어요 |
| 바쁘다 | 바빠요 | 바빴어요 |
| 예쁘다 | 예뻐요 | 예뻤어요 |
| 크다 | 커요 | 컸어요 |
🔊 Listen: 썼어요
🔊 Listen: 바빴어요
🔊 Listen: 예뻤어요
🔊 Listen: 컸어요
ㄷ Irregular: 듣다 and 걷다
Some verbs ending in ㄷ change that consonant to ㄹ before a vowel-starting ending.
듣다 → 들었어요
“To listen → Listened”
🔊 Listen: 들었어요
걷다 → 걸었어요
“To walk → Walked”
🔊 Listen: 걸었어요
Examples:
어제 음악을 들었어요.
“I listened to music yesterday.”
🔊 Listen: 어제 음악을 들었어요.
공원에서 한 시간 동안 걸었어요.
“I walked in the park for an hour.”
🔊 Listen: 공원에서 한 시간 동안 걸었어요.
Not every ㄷ-ending verb is irregular.
For example:
받다 → 받았어요
“To receive → Received”
🔊 Listen: 받았어요
ㅂ Irregular: 춥다, 덥다, 돕다
Some stems ending in ㅂ change when followed by a vowel-starting ending.
Examples:
춥다 → 추웠어요
“To be cold → Was cold”
🔊 Listen: 추웠어요
덥다 → 더웠어요
“To be hot → Was hot”
🔊 Listen: 더웠어요
어렵다 → 어려웠어요
“To be difficult → Was difficult”
🔊 Listen: 어려웠어요
돕다 → 도왔어요
“To help → Helped”
🔊 Listen: 도왔어요
Notice that 돕다 becomes 도왔어요, not 도웠어요.
Not every ㅂ-ending stem is irregular.
입다 → 입었어요
“To wear → Wore”
🔊 Listen: 입었어요
르 Irregular: 모르다 and 부르다
Certain 르-ending stems add an extra ㄹ to the preceding syllable when conjugated.
모르다 → 몰랐어요
“Not to know → Didn’t know”
🔊 Listen: 몰랐어요
부르다 → 불렀어요
“To call/sing → Called/sang”
🔊 Listen: 불렀어요
빠르다 → 빨랐어요
“To be fast → Was fast”
🔊 Listen: 빨랐어요
Examples:
저는 그 사실을 몰랐어요.
“I didn’t know that fact.”
🔊 Listen: 저는 그 사실을 몰랐어요.
어제 노래를 불렀어요.
“I sang a song yesterday.”
🔊 Listen: 어제 노래를 불렀어요.
ㅅ Irregular: 짓다 and 낫다
Some ㅅ-ending stems lose ㅅ before vowel-starting endings.
짓다 → 지었어요
“To build → Built”
🔊 Listen: 지었어요
낫다 → 나았어요
“To recover/get better → Recovered/got better”
🔊 Listen: 나았어요
Example:
할아버지가 이 집을 지었어요.
“My grandfather built this house.”
🔊 Listen: 할아버지가 이 집을 지었어요.
But not every verb ending in ㅅ follows this rule.
웃다 → 웃었어요
“To laugh → Laughed”
🔊 Listen: 웃었어요
Irregular Verb Review
| Dictionary form | Meaning | Past tense |
|---|---|---|
| 쓰다 | To write/use | 썼어요 |
| 바쁘다 | To be busy | 바빴어요 |
| 듣다 | To listen | 들었어요 |
| 걷다 | To walk | 걸었어요 |
| 춥다 | To be cold | 추웠어요 |
| 덥다 | To be hot | 더웠어요 |
| 돕다 | To help | 도왔어요 |
| 모르다 | Not to know | 몰랐어요 |
| 부르다 | To call/sing | 불렀어요 |
| 짓다 | To build | 지었어요 |
Study advice: Learn irregular verbs in pairs with their present and past forms, rather than memorizing a rule name alone.
6. Korean Present Tense vs. Past Tense: Listening Comparison
Now let’s focus on the skill you will actually use in conversation: recognizing whether someone is talking about the present or the past.
Pair 1: Eating
저는 밥을 먹어요.
“I eat rice.”
🔊 Listen: 저는 밥을 먹어요.
저는 밥을 먹었어요.
“I ate rice.”
🔊 Listen: 저는 밥을 먹었어요.
Pair 2: Going Somewhere
저는 학교에 가요.
“I go to school.”
🔊 Listen: 저는 학교에 가요.
저는 학교에 갔어요.
“I went to school.”
🔊 Listen: 저는 학교에 갔어요.
Pair 3: Studying Korean
저는 한국어를 공부해요.
“I study Korean.”
🔊 Listen: 저는 한국어를 공부해요.
저는 한국어를 공부했어요.
“I studied Korean.”
🔊 Listen: 저는 한국어를 공부했어요.
Pair 4: Watching a Movie
저는 영화를 봐요.
“I watch a movie.”
🔊 Listen: 저는 영화를 봐요.
저는 영화를 봤어요.
“I watched a movie.”
🔊 Listen: 저는 영화를 봤어요.
Pair 5: Being Busy
저는 바빠요.
“I’m busy.”
🔊 Listen: 저는 바빠요.
저는 바빴어요.
“I was busy.”
🔊 Listen: 저는 바빴어요.
Pair 6: Listening to Music
음악을 들어요.
“I listen to music.”
🔊 Listen: 음악을 들어요.
음악을 들었어요.
“I listened to music.”
🔊 Listen: 음악을 들었어요.
Practice Strategy
For every pair:
- Read the present-tense sentence.
- Cover the written past-tense sentence.
- Listen to the past-tense audio.
- Try to repeat the sentence.
- Reveal the text and check the ending.
If you need to review how the everyday present tense works, study the foundation lesson first:
Korean Present Tense: A/V-아/어요 Conjugation Guide
The present and past endings are closely related, so understanding one makes the other easier.
7. Essential Korean Past Time Expressions
Past-tense grammar becomes much more useful when combined with time expressions.
These words tell the listener when something happened.
Common Past-Time Vocabulary
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 어제 | Yesterday |
| 그저께 | The day before yesterday |
| 어젯밤 | Last night |
| 아까 | Earlier / a little while ago |
| 방금 | Just now |
| 지난주 | Last week |
| 지난달 | Last month |
| 작년 | Last year |
| 지난 주말 | Last weekend |
| 그때 | At that time |
| 예전에 | In the past / previously |
Listen to the Time Expressions
🔊 Listen: 어제
🔊 Listen: 그저께
🔊 Listen: 어젯밤
🔊 Listen: 아까
🔊 Listen: 방금
🔊 Listen: 지난주
🔊 Listen: 지난달
🔊 Listen: 작년
🔊 Listen: 지난 주말
🔊 Listen: 그때
🔊 Listen: 예전에
Time Expressions in Complete Sentences
어제 친구를 만났어요.
“I met my friend yesterday.”
🔊 Listen: 어제 친구를 만났어요.
아까 점심을 먹었어요.
“I ate lunch earlier.”
🔊 Listen: 아까 점심을 먹었어요.
방금 집에 도착했어요.
“I just arrived home.”
🔊 Listen: 방금 집에 도착했어요.
지난 주말에 서울에 갔어요.
“I went to Seoul last weekend.”
🔊 Listen: 지난 주말에 서울에 갔어요.
작년에 한국어를 배우기 시작했어요.
“I started learning Korean last year.”
🔊 Listen: 작년에 한국어를 배우기 시작했어요.
Important: Past Tense vs. Time Expressions
In a simple sentence such as:
어제 학교에 갔어요.
“I went to school yesterday.”
🔊 Listen: 어제 학교에 갔어요.
Both 어제 and 갔어요 help indicate the past.
But the time word is not always necessary.
학교에 갔어요.
“I went to school.”
🔊 Listen: 학교에 갔어요.
The past-tense ending itself already indicates that the event happened in the past.
Review Korean Days and Times
If you want to describe exactly when something happened, use weekday and clock expressions.
For additional practice, read:
That lesson explains weekdays, AM/PM, hours, minutes, and scheduling expressions.
8. How to Ask Past-Tense Questions in Korean
Asking about past events is essential for natural conversations.
The polite past-tense form often looks the same in statements and questions. In speech, the question is distinguished by intonation and context.
What Did You Do Yesterday?
어제 뭐 했어요?
“What did you do yesterday?”
🔊 Listen: 어제 뭐 했어요?
Possible answers:
집에서 쉬었어요.
“I rested at home.”
🔊 Listen: 집에서 쉬었어요.
친구를 만났어요.
“I met my friend.”
🔊 Listen: 친구를 만났어요.
영화를 봤어요.
“I watched a movie.”
🔊 Listen: 영화를 봤어요.
Where Did You Go?
어디에 갔어요?
“Where did you go?”
🔊 Listen: 어디에 갔어요?
카페에 갔어요.
“I went to a café.”
🔊 Listen: 카페에 갔어요.
친구 집에 갔어요.
“I went to my friend’s house.”
🔊 Listen: 친구 집에 갔어요.
What Did You Eat?
뭐 먹었어요?
“What did you eat?”
🔊 Listen: 뭐 먹었어요?
김치찌개를 먹었어요.
“I ate kimchi stew.”
🔊 Listen: 김치찌개를 먹었어요.
비빔밥을 먹었어요.
“I ate bibimbap.”
🔊 Listen: 비빔밥을 먹었어요.
How Was It?
The past tense also describes how someone felt about an experience.
영화 어땠어요?
“How was the movie?”
🔊 Listen: 영화 어땠어요?
정말 재미있었어요.
“It was really interesting.”
🔊 Listen: 정말 재미있었어요.
음식 어땠어요?
“How was the food?”
🔊 Listen: 음식 어땠어요?
정말 맛있었어요.
“It was really delicious.”
🔊 Listen: 정말 맛있었어요.
9. How to Make Negative Sentences in the Korean Past Tense
Sometimes you need to talk about something you didn’t do.
Korean provides several useful ways to express negative past actions.
Using 안 Before a Verb
One common pattern is:
안 + verb in past tense
For example:
먹었어요.
“I ate.”
🔊 Listen: 먹었어요.
안 먹었어요.
“I didn’t eat.”
🔊 Listen: 안 먹었어요.
Another example:
갔어요.
“I went.”
🔊 Listen: 갔어요.
안 갔어요.
“I didn’t go.”
🔊 Listen: 안 갔어요.
Special Pattern with Many Noun + 하다 Verbs
For many common noun + 하다 action verbs, 안 is placed between the noun and 하다.
공부했어요 → 공부 안 했어요
“Studied → Didn’t study”
🔊 Listen: 공부 안 했어요
운동했어요 → 운동 안 했어요
“Exercised → Didn’t exercise”
🔊 Listen: 운동 안 했어요
전화했어요 → 전화 안 했어요
“Called → Didn’t call”
🔊 Listen: 전화 안 했어요
Using -지 않았어요
Another common negative pattern is:
Verb/adjective stem + 지 않았어요
Examples:
먹지 않았어요.
“I didn’t eat.”
🔊 Listen: 먹지 않았어요.
가지 않았어요.
“I didn’t go.”
🔊 Listen: 가지 않았어요.
공부하지 않았어요.
“I didn’t study.”
🔊 Listen: 공부하지 않았어요.
춥지 않았어요.
“It wasn’t cold.”
🔊 Listen: 춥지 않았어요.
Both short-form and long-form negation are useful. The best choice depends on the sentence, tone, and context.
안 했어요 vs. 못 했어요
These expressions are not interchangeable.
안 했어요 means the action was not done, without necessarily explaining why.
못 했어요 usually indicates that someone couldn’t do it or was unable to complete the action.
Compare:
숙제 안 했어요.
“I didn’t do my homework.”
🔊 Listen: 숙제 안 했어요.
숙제 못 했어요.
“I couldn’t do my homework.”
🔊 Listen: 숙제 못 했어요.
The difference can matter in everyday conversations.
10. Real-Life Korean Past-Tense Conversations
Let’s practice the past tense in realistic situations.
Conversation 1: Talking About Yesterday
A: 어제 뭐 했어요?
“What did you do yesterday?”
🔊 Listen: 어제 뭐 했어요?
B: 집에서 한국어를 공부했어요.
“I studied Korean at home.”
🔊 Listen: 집에서 한국어를 공부했어요.
A: 얼마나 공부했어요?
“How long did you study?”
🔊 Listen: 얼마나 공부했어요?
B: 두 시간 공부했어요.
“I studied for two hours.”
🔊 Listen: 두 시간 공부했어요.
Conversation 2: Talking About Food
A: 점심 먹었어요?
“Did you eat lunch?”
🔊 Listen: 점심 먹었어요?
B: 네, 김치찌개를 먹었어요.
“Yes, I ate kimchi stew.”
🔊 Listen: 네, 김치찌개를 먹었어요.
A: 맛있었어요?
“Was it delicious?”
🔊 Listen: 맛있었어요?
B: 네, 정말 맛있었어요.
“Yes, it was really delicious.”
🔊 Listen: 네, 정말 맛있었어요.
Conversation 3: Talking About the Weekend
A: 주말에 어디 갔어요?
“Where did you go over the weekend?”
🔊 Listen: 주말에 어디 갔어요?
B: 부산에 갔어요.
“I went to Busan.”
🔊 Listen: 부산에 갔어요.
A: 부산에서 뭐 했어요?
“What did you do in Busan?”
🔊 Listen: 부산에서 뭐 했어요?
B: 바다를 보고 맛있는 음식을 먹었어요.
“I saw the sea and ate delicious food.”
🔊 Listen: 바다를 보고 맛있는 음식을 먹었어요.
Conversation 4: Talking About a Movie
A: 어제 영화 봤어요?
“Did you watch a movie yesterday?”
🔊 Listen: 어제 영화 봤어요?
B: 네, 친구랑 같이 봤어요.
“Yes, I watched it with my friend.”
🔊 Listen: 네, 친구랑 같이 봤어요.
A: 재미있었어요?
“Was it interesting?”
🔊 Listen: 재미있었어요?
B: 네, 정말 재미있었어요.
“Yes, it was really interesting.”
🔊 Listen: 네, 정말 재미있었어요.
Conversation 5: Talking About a Busy Day
A: 어제 왜 전화 안 받았어요?
“Why didn’t you answer the phone yesterday?”
🔊 Listen: 어제 왜 전화 안 받았어요?
B: 죄송해요. 어제 너무 바빴어요.
“Sorry. I was very busy yesterday.”
🔊 Listen: 죄송해요. 어제 너무 바빴어요.
A: 무슨 일이 있었어요?
“Did something happen?”
🔊 Listen: 무슨 일이 있었어요?
B: 회사에서 회의가 많았어요.
“I had a lot of meetings at work.”
🔊 Listen: 회사에서 회의가 많았어요.
How to Study the Conversations
Try listening in three rounds.
Round 1: Listen to each question and predict the answer.
Round 2: Read the Korean and English together.
Round 3: Cover the English and act out both speakers’ lines.
Notice how the past-tense endings appear in questions, answers, explanations, and descriptions.
11. How to Tell a Short Story About Yesterday in Korean
One of the best ways to practice Korean past tense is to tell a simple story about your day.
You don’t need advanced grammar to do this.
Start with a sequence of familiar actions.
Example: My Day Yesterday
어제 아침 일곱 시에 일어났어요.
“Yesterday, I woke up at 7 AM.”
🔊 Listen: 어제 아침 일곱 시에 일어났어요.
아침을 먹고 커피를 마셨어요.
“I ate breakfast and drank coffee.”
🔊 Listen: 아침을 먹고 커피를 마셨어요.
아홉 시에 회사에 갔어요.
“I went to work at nine.”
🔊 Listen: 아홉 시에 회사에 갔어요.
회사에서 여덟 시간 일했어요.
“I worked for eight hours at the office.”
🔊 Listen: 회사에서 여덟 시간 일했어요.
퇴근하고 친구를 만났어요.
“After work, I met my friend.”
🔊 Listen: 퇴근하고 친구를 만났어요.
저녁을 먹고 집에 돌아왔어요.
“I ate dinner and came back home.”
🔊 Listen: 저녁을 먹고 집에 돌아왔어요.
밤 열한 시에 잤어요.
“I went to sleep at 11 PM.”
🔊 Listen: 밤 열한 시에 잤어요.
Why This Story Is Useful
This short story uses several practical past-tense verbs:
| Dictionary form | Past tense | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 일어나다 | 일어났어요 | Woke up / got up |
| 먹다 | 먹었어요 | Ate |
| 마시다 | 마셨어요 | Drank |
| 가다 | 갔어요 | Went |
| 일하다 | 일했어요 | Worked |
| 만나다 | 만났어요 | Met |
| 돌아오다 | 돌아왔어요 | Came back |
| 자다 | 잤어요 | Slept / went to bed |
Your Turn: Tell Your Own Story
Use the same structure and replace the actions with things you actually did.
Start with:
어제 ______ 시에 일어났어요.
“Yesterday, I got up at ______.”
Then continue with:
아침에 ______ 먹었어요.
“In the morning, I ate ______.”
오후에 ______ 갔어요.
“In the afternoon, I went to ______.”
저녁에 ______ 했어요.
“In the evening, I ______.”
밤에 ______ 잤어요.
“At night, I went to bed at ______.”
The key is to practice telling your own experiences rather than memorizing somebody else’s story.
12. Common Korean Past Tense Mistakes
Even beginners who understand the basic rule may make several common mistakes.
Mistake 1: Using 가았어요 Instead of 갔어요
Incorrect:
가았어요
Correct:
갔어요
🔊 Listen: 갔어요
The vowels combine when 가다 becomes the past tense.
Mistake 2: Using 먹았어요 Instead of 먹었어요
Incorrect:
먹았어요
Correct:
먹었어요
🔊 Listen: 먹었어요
The stem 먹- takes the -었어요 pattern.
Mistake 3: Using 공부하었어요 Instead of 공부했어요
Incorrect:
공부하었어요
Correct:
공부했어요
🔊 Listen: 공부했어요
하다 normally becomes 했어요 in everyday polite past-tense speech.
Mistake 4: Forgetting Irregular Conjugation
Incorrect:
듣었어요
Correct:
들었어요
🔊 Listen: 들었어요
듣다 changes ㄷ to ㄹ before the vowel-starting ending.
Mistake 5: Using 춥었어요 Instead of 추웠어요
Incorrect:
춥었어요
Correct:
추웠어요
🔊 Listen: 추웠어요
춥다 follows a ㅂ-irregular pattern.
Mistake 6: Confusing Past Tense with Past-Time Vocabulary
Incorrect beginner assumption:
“If I say 어제, I don’t need to conjugate the verb.”
For an ordinary statement about yesterday, you usually still use the past-tense ending.
어제 친구를 만났어요.
“I met a friend yesterday.”
🔊 Listen: 어제 친구를 만났어요.
There are other constructions in Korean that can refer to past events, but the basic pattern taught here uses a past-tense predicate.
Mistake 7: Assuming -았/었- Always Describes a Past Event
You may already have seen the expression:
한국어를 잘했으면 좋겠어요.
“I wish I were good at Korean.”
🔊 Listen: 한국어를 잘했으면 좋겠어요.
Although it includes the past-looking form -았/었-, the complete construction -았/었으면 좋겠어요 expresses a wish or desired situation.
It does not necessarily report a past event.
This is an important difference between a simple past-tense statement and a larger grammar construction.
For a complete explanation, read:
Korean Grammar A/V-았/었으면 좋겠다: To Wish / To Hope
13. Korean Past Tense Listening Quiz
Now it’s time to check what you’ve learned.
First, listen to each sentence. Then decide whether it describes a present situation or a past event.
Listening Question 1
🔊 Listen: 저는 학교에 가요.
Does the sentence use a present or past form?
A. Present
B. Past
Listening Question 2
🔊 Listen: 저는 학교에 갔어요.
Does the sentence use a present or past form?
A. Present
B. Past
Listening Question 3
🔊 Listen: 어제 김치를 먹었어요.
What does the speaker say?
A. I eat kimchi every day.
B. I ate kimchi yesterday.
C. I will eat kimchi tomorrow.
Listening Question 4
🔊 Listen: 오늘은 바빠요.
Which statement is correct?
A. The speaker is busy today.
B. The speaker was busy yesterday.
C. The speaker will be busy next month.
Listening Question 5
🔊 Listen: 어제 정말 바빴어요.
Which statement is correct?
A. The speaker is busy now.
B. The speaker was very busy yesterday.
C. The speaker wants to be busy.
Listening Question 6
🔊 Listen: 친구에게 전화했어요.
Which action happened?
A. The speaker called a friend.
B. The speaker received a call from a friend.
C. The speaker will call a friend.
Listening Question 7
🔊 Listen: 음악을 들었어요.
Which dictionary form matches the past-tense verb?
A. 듣다
B. 들다
C. 달리다
Listening Question 8
🔊 Listen: 어제 영화를 봤어요.
Which form is the corresponding everyday polite present tense?
A. 보여요
B. 봐요
C. 봤어요
Listening Quiz Answer Key
1. A — Present
가요 is the everyday polite present form of 가다.
2. B — Past
갔어요 is the everyday polite past form of 가다.
3. B — I ate kimchi yesterday
먹었어요 indicates the past, and 어제 means yesterday.
4. A — The speaker is busy today
바빠요 describes the present state in this context.
5. B — The speaker was very busy yesterday
바빴어요 is the past form of 바쁘다.
6. A — The speaker called a friend
전화했어요 is the past form of 전화하다.
7. A — 듣다
듣다 changes irregularly to 들었어요.
8. B — 봐요
보다 becomes 봐요 in the everyday polite present tense.
Make the Exercise More Challenging
After checking the answers, listen again without reading the Korean sentences.
Try to recognize the difference between:
가요 / 갔어요
먹어요 / 먹었어요
바빠요 / 바빴어요
전화해요 / 전화했어요
봐요 / 봤어요
Focus on the changed ending rather than trying to translate every word individually.
14. Korean Past Tense Conjugation Practice Quiz
Choose the correct past-tense form.
Question 1
What is the correct polite past form of 가다?
A. 가었어요
B. 갔어요
C. 가해요
D. 가았어요
Question 2
What is the correct past form of 먹다?
A. 먹았어요
B. 먹해요
C. 먹었어요
D. 먹어요
Question 3
How do you conjugate 공부하다 in the past tense?
A. 공부하요
B. 공부해요
C. 공부하았어요
D. 공부했어요
Question 4
Which is the correct past form of 배우다?
A. 배웠어요
B. 배우았어요
C. 배와요
D. 배우해요
Question 5
What is the correct past form of 춥다?
A. 춥었어요
B. 추웠어요
C. 춥았어요
D. 추어요
Question 6
What is the correct past form of 모르다?
A. 몰랐어요
B. 모르었어요
C. 모랐어요
D. 몰았어요
Question 7
Which sentence means “I didn’t study”?
A. 공부할 거예요.
B. 공부해요.
C. 공부했어요.
D. 공부 안 했어요.
Question 8
What is the correct past form of 듣다?
A. 듣었어요
B. 들었어요
C. 듣았어요
D. 들아요
Question 9
Which form correctly expresses “It was pretty”?
A. 예뻐요
B. 예쁘었어요
C. 예뻤어요
D. 예뻐했어요
Question 10
What is the correct past form of 돕다?
A. 도왔어요
B. 돕었어요
C. 도웠어요
D. 도와요
Answer Key with Explanations
1. B — 갔어요
The final vowel ㅏ combines with the past-tense ending.
2. C — 먹었어요
The stem 먹- takes -었어요.
3. D — 공부했어요
하다 becomes 했어요.
4. A — 배웠어요
The vowel ㅜ combines with ㅓ, creating ㅝ.
5. B — 추웠어요
춥다 follows the ㅂ-irregular pattern.
6. A — 몰랐어요
모르다 follows the 르-irregular pattern.
7. D — 공부 안 했어요
This is a natural short negative past-tense form.
8. B — 들었어요
듣다 changes ㄷ to ㄹ before the past-tense ending.
9. C — 예뻤어요
예쁘다 follows the ㅡ-drop pattern.
10. A — 도왔어요
돕다 follows a ㅂ-irregular pattern and becomes 도왔어요.
15. Past Tense Speaking Challenge: Talk About Your Weekend
You’ve practiced individual verbs and complete sentences. Now let’s create your own conversation.
Imagine a Korean friend asks:
주말에 뭐 했어요?
“What did you do over the weekend?”
🔊 Listen: 주말에 뭐 했어요?
Try answering with three to five sentences.
Example Answer
토요일에 친구를 만났어요.
“I met my friend on Saturday.”
🔊 Listen: 토요일에 친구를 만났어요.
같이 영화를 봤어요.
“We watched a movie together.”
🔊 Listen: 같이 영화를 봤어요.
저녁에는 맛있는 음식을 먹었어요.
“In the evening, we ate delicious food.”
🔊 Listen: 저녁에는 맛있는 음식을 먹었어요.
일요일에는 집에서 쉬었어요.
“On Sunday, I rested at home.”
🔊 Listen: 일요일에는 집에서 쉬었어요.
Helpful Sentence Starters
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 어제는… | Yesterday… |
| 지난 주말에… | Last weekend… |
| 아침에… | In the morning… |
| 친구랑 같이… | Together with a friend… |
| 그리고… | And then… |
| 그다음에… | After that… |
| 마지막으로… | Finally… |
🔊 Listen: 어제는
🔊 Listen: 지난 주말에
🔊 Listen: 아침에
🔊 Listen: 친구랑 같이
🔊 Listen: 그리고
🔊 Listen: 그다음에
🔊 Listen: 마지막으로
Three-Step Speaking Practice
First, write your story using the words and grammar from this lesson.
Second, read it aloud at a comfortable speed.
Third, close the article and try telling the same story from memory.
You don’t need to use complicated grammar. Five accurate, natural sentences are more useful than a long story full of expressions you haven’t learned yet.
16. Frequently Asked Questions About Korean Past Tense
How do you form the Korean past tense?
The everyday polite past tense commonly uses -았어요, -었어요, or -했어요. The form depends on the verb stem and any applicable conjugation or vowel-contraction rules.
What is the difference between -았어요 and -었어요?
Regular stems whose final vowel is ㅏ or ㅗ generally take the -았어요 pattern. Other regular vowel patterns generally take -었어요.
Some forms contract, so the ending does not always appear as a separate syllable in the finished word.
Why does 가다 become 갔어요?
The stem 가- combines with the past-tense ending and undergoes vowel contraction, producing 갔어요.
Why does 하다 become 했어요?
The form 했어요 is the usual contraction of 하였어요.
Is -았/었어요 polite Korean?
Yes. It is part of the everyday polite 해요 speech style.
The more formal polite past tense commonly uses forms ending in -았습니다 or -었습니다, such as 갔습니다 and 먹었습니다.
How do you ask “What did you do yesterday?” in Korean?
Say:
어제 뭐 했어요?
“What did you do yesterday?”
🔊 Listen: 어제 뭐 했어요?
How do you say “I didn’t go” in Korean?
Two common forms are:
안 갔어요.
“I didn’t go.”
🔊 Listen: 안 갔어요.
가지 않았어요.
“I didn’t go.”
🔊 Listen: 가지 않았어요.
How is the past tense different from -았/었으면 좋겠다?
The simple past tense describes past actions or situations.
The construction -았/었으면 좋겠다 expresses a wish or desired situation, which does not necessarily refer to an event that actually happened.
Can past-tense Korean describe feelings?
Yes.
For example:
행복했어요.
“I was happy.”
🔊 Listen: 행복했어요.
슬펐어요.
“I was sad.”
🔊 Listen: 슬펐어요.
Descriptive predicates can also be conjugated into the past tense.
Final Review: Master Korean Past Tense A/V-았/었어요
You’ve learned the essential patterns needed to describe past events and situations in everyday Korean.
Let’s review the three main conjugation patterns.
| Pattern | Example | Past tense |
|---|---|---|
| -았어요 | 가다 | 갔어요 |
| -었어요 | 먹다 | 먹었어요 |
| -했어요 | 공부하다 | 공부했어요 |
You also learned important irregular forms.
| Dictionary form | Past tense |
|---|---|
| 쓰다 | 썼어요 |
| 듣다 | 들었어요 |
| 걷다 | 걸었어요 |
| 춥다 | 추웠어요 |
| 돕다 | 도왔어요 |
| 모르다 | 몰랐어요 |
| 부르다 | 불렀어요 |
| 짓다 | 지었어요 |
Final Listening Review: Present vs. Past
Listen to each pair separately and identify which form refers to the past.
먹어요 — Eat
🔊 Listen: 먹어요
먹었어요 — Ate
🔊 Listen: 먹었어요
가요 — Go
🔊 Listen: 가요
갔어요 — Went
🔊 Listen: 갔어요
공부해요 — Study
🔊 Listen: 공부해요
공부했어요 — Studied
🔊 Listen: 공부했어요
바빠요 — Am busy
🔊 Listen: 바빠요
바빴어요 — Was busy
🔊 Listen: 바빴어요
들어요 — Listen
🔊 Listen: 들어요
들었어요 — Listened
🔊 Listen: 들었어요
Your Final Challenge
Write five sentences about yesterday using at least:
- Two regular verbs
- One 하다 verb
- One irregular verb
- One negative past-tense sentence
Then combine them into a short story and practice reading it aloud.
For example:
어제 아침에 일찍 일어났어요.
“I woke up early yesterday morning.”
🔊 Listen: 어제 아침에 일찍 일어났어요.
친구와 점심을 먹었어요.
“I ate lunch with my friend.”
🔊 Listen: 친구와 점심을 먹었어요.
오후에는 한국어를 공부했어요.
“In the afternoon, I studied Korean.”
🔊 Listen: 오후에는 한국어를 공부했어요.
저녁에는 음악을 들었어요.
“In the evening, I listened to music.”
🔊 Listen: 저녁에는 음악을 들었어요.
어제는 운동 안 했어요.
“I didn’t exercise yesterday.”
🔊 Listen: 어제는 운동 안 했어요.
If you can describe a real day using these expressions, you’re doing more than memorizing grammar.
You’re learning how to communicate your own experiences in Korean.