Choosing Time and Aspect Together

The first step in building a Korean sentence is deciding when the event happens. This is the basic timeline you have learned.

Time Map

Time · Form · Example

Present / Habit · -아요/-어요 · 매일 책을 읽어요.

I read a book every day.

Past · -았/었어요 · 어제 책을 읽었어요.

I read a book yesterday.

Future / Plan · -(으)ㄹ 거예요 · 내일 책을 읽을 거예요.

I will read a book tomorrow.

Sometimes, simply stating the time isn't enough. You need to describe the state of the action. Is it happening right now? Is it finished? Is the result still visible?

Action Map

Progress: -고 있어요

Result State: -아/어 있어요

Start: -기 시작하다

Finish: 다 + verb (I finished doing it all)

Experience: -아/어 본 적이 있다

Let's look at how one verb— 읽다 (to read)—transforms to fit any situation.

Simple Tense

매일 책을 읽어요.

I read a book every day.

어제 책을 읽었어요.

I read a book yesterday.

내일 책을 읽을 거예요.

I will read a book tomorrow.

Action States

지금 책을 읽고 있어요.

I am reading a book right now.

책을 읽기 시작했어요.

I started reading a book.

책을 다 읽었어요.

I finished reading the book.

그 책을 읽어 본 적이 있어요.

I have read that book before.

To choose the right expression, look for context clues in the sentence. Certain time words naturally pair with specific forms.

Common Pairs

매일 + -아요/-어요: Describes a habit.

지금 + -고 있어요: Emphasizes current progress.

다 + -았/었어요: Focuses on completion.

Note: You do not need to memorize these as strict rules. Instead, think about the situation. If the action is finished, use the past tense. If the result of that finished action is still visible (like an open door), use -아/어 있어요 .

Quick review

time words

matching expressions