Three Times, Three Forms
When a verb describes a noun in Korean, the verb changes its shape based on when the action happens.
Before you choose an ending, first identify the noun you want to describe, then ask yourself:
Is this action happening now (or regularly)?
Is it already finished?
Or is it something that will happen in the future?
The Three Forms
Korean uses three distinct verb endings to show the time of the action:
Present / Repeated: -는
Finished / Past: -(으)ㄴ
Future / Not yet done: -(으)ㄹ
Present and Repeated Actions (-는)
Use -는 for actions that are happening right now, or actions that happen regularly.
Example: 읽다 + 책
읽는 책 : the book I am reading
민호가 읽는 책 : the book Minho is reading
Example: 만나다 + 사람
만나는 사람 : the person I am meeting
자주 만나는 사람 : the person I often meet
Notice that the verb stem simply attaches -는 , and it immediately describes the noun that follows it.
Finished Actions (-(으)ㄴ)
Use -(으)ㄴ for actions that are already completed.
Example: 읽다 + 책
읽은 책 : the book I read
민호가 읽은 책 : the book Minho read
Example: 가다 + 곳
간 곳 : the place I went
작년에 간 곳 : the place I went last year
Form Rule: If the verb stem ends in a consonant, attach -은 (읽은). If it ends in a vowel, attach -ㄴ at the bottom (간).
Future and Intended Actions (-(으)ㄹ)
Use -(으)ㄹ for actions that have not happened yet, plans, or potential actions.
Example: 만나다 + 사람
만날 사람 : the person I will meet
내일 만날 사람 : the person I will meet tomorrow
Example: 가다 + 곳
갈 곳 : the place I will go
주말에 갈 곳 : the place I will go on the weekend
Form Rule: If the verb stem ends in a consonant, attach -을 (읽을). If it ends in a vowel, attach -ㄹ at the bottom (만날).
Side-by-Side Comparison
Let's compare the same verb and noun across all three times so you can see the structure at a glance.
만나다 + 사람
Time · Form · Meaning
Present / Repeated · 만나는 사람 · the person I am meeting
Finished · 만난 사람 · the person I met
Future · 만날 사람 · the person I will meet
Mistake to Avoid: Do not use past tense markers like -았/었- before these noun-modifying endings. For example, 읽었은 책 is incorrect. The ending -(으)ㄴ itself already shows that the action is finished!