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A/V-았었/었었- — used to … (but not any more) — a past that is cut off from now

Used to … (but not any more) — a past that is cut off from now. Korean grammar for upper intermediate learners — Level 4B, lesson 7: 만남과 헤어짐 (Meeting and parting — what used to be, what I half think).

What it means

-았/었었- puts the past twice, and the second one cuts the event off from the present: 1급 때는 기숙사에 살았었어요 'I used to live in the dorm in level 1 (but I don't now)'. The plain past -았/었- only says that something happened; it is silent about now. That is why the two can mean very different things: 결혼했어요 'got married (and still is)' but 결혼했었어요 'was married once (and isn't any more)' — a sentence to use with care. Build it like the past tense and add 었: after ㅏ or ㅗ it is 았었 (살았었어요, 봤었어요), after other vowels 었었 (사귀었었어요, 예쁘다 → 예뻤었어요), and 하다 becomes 했었 (공부했었어요). With a noun, use 이었었어요 after a 받침 and 였었어요 after a vowel: 학생이었었어요, 배우였었어요. For someone you respect, the honorific comes first: 김 대리님은 담배를 피우셨었어요 'Mr Kim used to smoke (he gave up)'. It also describes a visit that is over: 아까 민수 씨가 왔었어요 'Minsu was here earlier (and has left)'. You will often hear it in contrasts — 그때는 …았/었었는데 지금은 … — and before a noun the same meaning is carried by -던 (Lesson 3B-1): 제가 살던 기숙사. If there is no contrast with now, the plain past is more natural.

Forms

Key points

• -았/었었- = the past, plus 'and it isn't so any more': ㅏ · ㅗ → 았었 (살았었어요 · 봤었어요) · others → 었었 (사귀었었어요 · 예뻤었어요) · 하다 → 했었 (공부했었어요) · nouns → 이었었/였었 (학생이었었어요 · 배우였었어요).
• -았/었- just says it happened; -았/었었- cuts it off from now. 결혼했어요 (and still married) ↔ 결혼했었어요 (but not any more) — so be careful with it! It also means 'came, then went again': 아까 민수 씨가 왔었어요 (he's gone now).

Examples

• 지난 일인데 지금은 그렇지 않을 때 써요: 1급 때는 기숙사에 살았었어요. (지금은 기숙사에 안 살아요.)
• ㅏ · ㅗ → -았었-: 살았었어요 · 봤었어요. 그 밖의 모음 → -었었-: 사귀었었어요 · 예뻤었어요. 하다 → 했었어요.
• 명사는 받침 O 이었었어요 · 받침 X 였었어요: 리사 씨는 배우였었어요.
• -았/었-은 그냥 지난 일, -았/었었-은 「그때와 지금이 달라요」예요. 그래서 「결혼했었어요」는 조심해서 써요.
• 왔다가 다시 간 일에도 써요: 아까 민수 씨가 사무실에 왔었어요. (지금은 없어요.)

Where university textbooks teach it

This point also appears in: Seoul National University Korean 4B, lesson 17; Yonsei University Korean 3-2, lesson 19; Ewha Womans University Korean 2-2, lesson 15.

Also in this lesson

• V-곤 하다 · -고는 하다 — used to … again and again · would often … — a habit, then or now
• A-다 싶다 · V-ㄴ/는다 싶다 · -(으)ㄹ까 싶다 — it struck me that … · I half think … · I'm thinking I might … — judgements you make to yourself
• V-는 사이에 · N 사이에 — while … (in that short gap) · before you knew it — something happening unnoticed

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