Korean grammar '-았어요/었어요/였어요(했어요).'

 

1. Explanation

 : '-았어요/었어요/였어요(했어요).' change the tense of a sentence to the past. These are used to describe the past state or action of a verb or adjective. So, these particles conjugate with verbs or adjectives. And they takes different particles and conjugations depending on their verb stems or adjective stems. Let's look at the rules together. 

 

  (1) If the verb stem or adjective stem has vowel 'ㅏ or ㅗ',

      you have to conjugate it with '-았어요.'

  (2) If the verb stem or adjective stem has except vowel 'ㅏ or ㅗ',

      you have to conjugate it with '-었어요.'

  (3) The form '-하다.' changes to '-했어요.'

     * 하다 conjugates with '-였어요'. => '하였어요' => '하여' can be contracted to '해' => '했어요.'

 

  * Tip : How to make past tense

    1) Step 1 - Check the verb stem or adjective stem 

    2) Step 2 - Check the ending syllable's vowel 

    3) Step 3 - Conjugate with the correct one

 

2. Examples

 영화 엘리멘탈을 봤어요. (I watched the movie Elemental.)

 *보다 to watch

  1) A verb stem is '보-'

  2) It has a vowel 'ㅗ'

  3) It conjugates with '-았어요.'

  4) 보았어요.  

  5) '보았' can be contracted to '봤'

  6) 봤어요.

 

 주말에 할머니를 만났어요. (I met my grandmother on the weekend.)

 *만나다 to meet

  1) A verb stem is '만나-'

  2) It has a vowel 'ㅏ'

  3) It conjugates with '-았어요.'

  4) 만나았어요.

  5) '나았' can be contracted to '났'

  6) 만났어요.

 

 친구가 HIVE 사옥에 갔어요. (My friend went to the HIVE's company building.

 *가다 to go

  1) A verb stem is '가-'

  2) It has a vowel 'ㅏ'

  3) It conjugates with '-았어요.'

  4) 가았어요.

  5) '가았' can be contracted to '갔'

  6) 갔어요.

 

 아빠가 한강 작가님의 책을 읽었어요. (My dad read a book written by Hangang.)

 *읽다 to read 

  1) A verb stem '읽-'

  2) It has a vowel 'ㅣ'

  3) It conjugates with '-었어요.'

  4) 읽었어요.

 

 공항에서 BLACKPINK 사진을 찍었어요. (I took a photo of BLACKPINK at the airport.)

 *(사진을) 찍다 to take a photo 

  1) A verb stem '찍-'

  2) It has a vowel 'ㅣ'

  3) It conjugates with '-었어요.'

  4) 찍었어요.

 

 여행이 정말 재미있었어요. (The trip was really fun.)

 *재미있다 fun 

  1) An adjective stem is '재미있-'

  2) It has a vowel 'ㅣ'

  3) It conjugates with '-었어요'.

  4) 재미있었어요.

 

 남동생과 요리했어요. (I cooked with my younger brother.)

 *요리하다 to cook 

  1) A form of the verb is '-하다.'

  2) '-하다.' changes to '-했어요.'

  3) 요리했어요.

 

 방에서 역사를 공부했어요. (I studied history in my room.)

 *공부하다 to study 

  1) A form of the verb is '-하다.'

  2) '-하다.' changes to '-했어요.'

  3) 공부했어요.

 

 오늘 정말 행복했어요. (I was really happy today.)

 *행복하다 happy 

  1) A form of the adjective is '-하다.'

  2) '-하다.' changes to '-했어요.'

  3) 행복했어요.

 

 

3. Practice

 My friend suddenly cancelled our plan.

 친구가 갑자기 약속을 _____________. ( *취소하다 to cancel ) 

 

 I learned French.

 프랑스어를 _____________. ( *배우다 to learn ) 

 

 It snowed in last winter.

 지난 겨울에 눈이 _____________. ( *오다 to come ) 

 

 My younger brother liked tteokbokki.

 남동생이 떡볶이를 _____________. ( *좋아하다 to like ) 

 

 The weather was nice till today's morning.

 오늘 아침까지 날씨가 _____________. ( *좋다 to like ) 

 

 The bicycle was in front of the house.

 자전거는 집 앞에 _____________. ( *있다 there is ) 

 

 I started to study a new language.

 새로운 언어 공부를 _____________. ( *시작하다 to start ) 

 

 The dog and cat were lively.

 강아지와 고양이가 _____________. ( *활기차다 lively ) 

 

4. Vocabulary

 영화 movie / 보다 to watch / 주말 weekend / 할머니 grandma / 만나요 to meet / 친구 friend / 사옥 company building / 아빠 dad / 작가 writer / 책 book / 읽다 read / 공항 airport / 사진을 찍다 to take a picture / 여행 travel, trip / 정말 really / 재미있다 fun / 남동생 younger brother / 요리하다 to cook / 방 room / 역사 history / 오늘 today / 정말 really / 행복하다 happy / 친구 friend / 갑자기 suddenly / 약속 plan / 취소하다 to cancel / 프랑스어 French / 배우다 to learn / 지난 last / 겨울 winter / 눈 snow / 오다 to come, fall / 떡볶이 tteokbokki / 을, 를 좋아하다 to like / 아침 morning / 날씨 weather / 이, 가 subject marker / 좋다 to like / 자전거 bicycle / 집 house / 앞 in front of / 있다 there is, to have / 새로운 new / 언어 language / 공부 study / 시작하다 to start / 강아지 dog / 고양이 cat / 활기차요 lively

 

5. Answer

  취소했어요. / 배웠어요. / 왔어요.('오았' can be contracted to '왔') / 좋아했어요. / 좋았어요. / 있었어요. / 시작했어요. / 활기찼어요.