V+던

Overview

V+던 is a retrospective grammatical ending used to recall a past action or state. It indicates that the speaker is remembering something that was happening, was habitual, or was interrupted in the past. It often carries a nuance of personal experience or observation.

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Usage

V+던 is primarily used in three main contexts:

1. Past Habitual Experience: To describe an action that one regularly did in the past. It's similar to 'used to' in English.

   • Example: 어릴 때 가던 학교 (the school I used to go to when I was little)

2. Past Interrupted Action: To describe an action that was ongoing in the past but was interrupted or not completed. The focus is on the process of the action.

   • Example: 제가 읽던 책 (the book I was reading)

3. Recalling a Past State or Characteristic: To describe a state or characteristic that existed in the past, often implying a change or a continued memory of it.

   • Example: 예전에 살던 집 (the house I used to live in)

Key Distinction: Unlike V+았/었던, which emphasizes a completed past action that is now being recalled, V+던 focuses on the process or ongoing nature of a past action or state, or an action whose completion is not the focus or is unknown.

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Conjugation Rules

V+던 is straightforward to conjugate as it attaches directly to the verb stem, regardless of whether the stem ends in a consonant or a vowel.

• Verb Stem + 던
  • 가다 (to go) -> 가 + 던 = 가던
  • 먹다 (to eat) -> 먹 + 던 = 먹던
  • 하다 (to do) -> 하 + 던 = 하던

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Knowledge Plus

V+던 is often used in descriptive clauses, modifying a noun that follows it. For example, '내가 읽던 책' (the book I was reading). This construction is very common.

Consider the difference between V+던 and V+았/었던:

• 내가 읽던 책: The book I was reading (implies I might still be reading it, or it was interrupted, or I'm just recalling the act of reading it). The book itself might not be finished.
• 내가 읽었던 책: The book I had read (implies I finished reading it in the past, and now I'm recalling that completed action). The book is definitely finished.

V+던 can also be used with adjectives (A+던) to describe a past state or characteristic, though it's less common than with verbs. For example, '예쁘던 꽃' (the flower that used to be pretty).

When used with '이다' (to be), it becomes '이던' or '였던/이던' (e.g., 학생이던 친구 - the friend who used to be a student).