Keep/Leave it X

This pattern indicates that an action has been completed and its resulting state is being maintained, often for future use or convenience.

Meaning & Usage

Meaning: It attaches to a verb to express "to do something and leave it that way" or "to do something in advance."

When to use: Use it when you've prepared something, like cooking food, booking a ticket, or leaving a door open. The focus is on the completed action and the continuing state that follows.

Formation

It's formed by adding -아/어 to the verb stem, followed by 놓다 (to put/place) or 두다 (to put/leave).

Verb stems ending in ㅏ or ㅗ: Add -아 놓다/두다

사다 (to buy) → 사 놓다

보다 (to see) → 봐 놓다

Verb stems ending in other vowels: Add -어 놓다/두다

열다 (to open) → 열어 놓다

켜다 (to turn on) → 켜 놓다

하다 verbs: Become -해 놓다/두다

준비하다 (to prepare) → 준비해 놓다

예매하다 (to book) → 예매해 놓다

미리 예매해 놨어. / 문 열어 놔. / 밥 해 놨으니까 먹어. / 다 준비해 놨어요.

While 놓다 and 두다 are often interchangeable in this pattern, there are subtle differences in nuance. In everyday speech, 놓다 is far more common.

놓다

Nuance: Tends to be used for more concrete, physical actions or for states maintained over a shorter term. It's the general-purpose, default choice.

Example Context: Leaving a door open (문 열어 놓다), turning on the AC (에어컨 켜 놓다), or doing the dishes (설거지해 놓다). These are all tangible results.

두다

Nuance: Can feel slightly more formal or literary. It often implies maintaining a state for a longer period or for more abstract concepts. It can mean "to leave something as is" or "to set something aside for later."

Example Context: The script uses 찜해 뒀어 (I called dibs on it). "Calling dibs" is an abstract state you want to maintain over time. Another example could be 파일을 저장해 두다 (to save a file), where the file is kept for long-term use.

내가 찜해 뒀어. / 에어컨 켜 놨어. / 중요한 건 메모해 놨어요. / 번호 저장해 놨어요.

In spoken Korean, this pattern is almost always contracted, which is crucial for sounding natural. The script exclusively uses these contracted forms.

Contractions

The vowel combination ㅗ + ㅏ contracts to ᅪ.

놓아 → 놔

놓았어(요) → 놨어(요)

놓아요 → 놔요

This applies to both statements and commands. For example, 문 열어 놓아 sounds very stiff; 문 열어 놔 is natural.

The verb 두다 can also contract (두어 → 둬), but it's less frequent than with 놓다.

Usage with 미리

This pattern is frequently paired with the adverb 미리 (in advance) to emphasize the preparatory nature of the action. This combination clearly communicates that you did something for future convenience.

미리 예매해 놨어. (I booked it in advance.)

미리 사 놨어. (I bought it in advance.)

미리 예매해 놨어. / 약속 취소해 놨어. / 도시락 싸 놨어요. / 충전해 놨어요.

The politeness level of this pattern is determined by the ending attached to 놓다 or 두다. The script lines clearly show the switch between casual and standard polite forms.

Casual Form (반말)

Used with close friends, family, or people younger than you. The verb ends without -요.

Statement: -아/어 놨어 or -아/어 뒀어

Command: -아/어 놔 or -아/어 둬

Polite Form (해요체)

Used in most everyday situations with colleagues, acquaintances, or service staff. Simply add -요 to the casual form.

Statement: -아/어 놨어요 or -아/어 뒀어요

Command: -아/어 놔요 or -아/어 둬요

Notice how the script provides pairs for practice:

내가 찜해 뒀어. (Casual)

제가 찜해 뒀어요. (Polite)

미리 예매해 놨어. / 미리 예매해 놨어요. / 문 열어 놔. / 문 열어 놔요. / 내가 찜해 뒀어. / 제가 찜해 뒀어요.