Overview
The grammatical pattern V+(았/었/였)던 is used to refer to a completed action or state in the past that the speaker is recalling or remembering. It functions as a retrospective modifier, attaching to verbs to describe a noun based on a past event that is now finished or no longer true.
Usage
V+(았/었/였)던 primarily serves to express a past action or state that has concluded and is no longer ongoing or relevant in the present. It carries a strong nuance of recollection or remembrance on the part of the speaker.
- Recalling a completed past action/state: It describes something that used to be the case but isn't anymore, or an action that was definitively finished in the past.
- Example: 예전에 제가 살았던 집 (The house I used to live in / lived in [and no longer do]).
- Emphasizing completion and change: Unlike
던 which can imply an ongoing or repeated action, (았/었/였)던 explicitly states that the action or state is over.
- Example: 그가 읽었던 책 (The book he read [and finished]).
- Describing a person or object based on a past completed action: It modifies a subsequent noun, indicating that the noun was involved in a completed past action.
- Example: 어렸을 때 좋아했던 가수 (The singer I liked when I was young [but maybe not anymore]).
Conjugation Rules
The conjugation follows the standard 았/었/였 past tense formation, followed by 던.
- If the verb stem ends in ㅏ or ㅗ: -았던
- 가다 (to go) -> 갔던 (갔 + 던)
- 오다 (to come) -> 왔던 (왔 + 던)
- If the verb stem ends in any other vowel: -었던
- 먹다 (to eat) -> 먹었던 (먹었 + 던)
- 읽다 (to read) -> 읽었던 (읽었 + 던)
- If the verb stem ends in 하: -했던
- 공부하다 (to study) -> 공부했던 (공부했 + 던)
- 말하다 (to speak) -> 말했던 (말했 + 던)
Knowledge Plus
It's crucial to distinguish V+(았/었/였)던 from similar retrospective markers like -(으)ㄴ and -던.
- V+(았/었/였)던 vs. -(으)ㄴ:
- -(으)ㄴ (e.g., 먹은 밥): Refers to a completed past action, often focusing on the result or fact. It's more neutral.
- V+(았/었/였)던 (e.g., 먹었던 밥): Also refers to a completed past action, but with a stronger nuance of recollection, remembrance, or nostalgia for something that is now over or different. It emphasizes the speaker's personal memory of the completed event.
- Example:
- 제가 먹은 빵: The bread I ate (simple fact, it's gone).
- 제가 먹었던 빵: The bread I ate (and remember eating, perhaps it was delicious, or I miss it, or it's no longer available).
- V+(았/었/였)던 vs. -던:
- -던 (e.g., 먹던 밥): Refers to a past action that was repeated, habitual, or ongoing and was either interrupted or continued. It focuses on the process or duration in the past. It implies the action might have been incomplete or was a regular occurrence.
- V+(았/었/였)던 (e.g., 먹었던 밥): Refers to a past action that was completed. It emphasizes that the action is finished and no longer happening.
- Example:
- 제가 읽던 책: The book I was reading (and perhaps didn't finish, or used to read regularly).
- 제가 읽었던 책: The book I read (and finished).
This form can also be used with descriptive verbs (adjectives) and the copula 이다 to describe a past state or identity that has changed:
- 예뻤던 친구 (a friend who used to be pretty [but maybe isn't anymore, or the speaker is just recalling her past beauty]).
- 학생이었던 사람 (a person who was a student [but isn't now]).