Comparing -는, -(으)ㄴ, and -(으)ㄹ at a Glance

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:

Korean uses three distinct verb endings to show the time of the action:

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).

Three Times, Three Forms