Korean · Elementary (A2) · Chapter 1 of 12
Talking about the past
어제 뭐 했어요?Eoje mwo haesseoyo?
Say what you did at the weekend in Korean: the past tense -았어요 / -었어요, joining actions with -고, and words like last week and two days ago.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Say what you did yesterday or last weekend
- Form the past of any verb with -았- / -었-
- Join two actions with -고 (and, and then)
- Say when: last week, last year, two days ago
Listen
On Monday morning at their office in Seoul, colleagues Lee Hyejin and Cho Minjae talk about their weekends. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Minjae
혜진 씨, 주말에 뭐 했어요?
Hyejin ssi, jumare mwo haesseoyo?
Hyejin, what did you do at the weekend?
Hyejin
토요일에 친구를 만나고 같이 영화를 봤어요.
Toyoire chingureul mannago gachi yeonghwareul bwasseoyo.
On Saturday I met a friend and we watched a film together.
Minjae
영화는 어땠어요?
Yeonghwaneun eottaesseoyo?
How was the film?
Hyejin
정말 재미있었어요. 그리고 일요일에는 한강에서 자전거를 탔어요.
Jeongmal jaemiisseosseoyo. Geurigo iryoireneun Hangangeseo jajeongeoreul tasseoyo.
It was really good. And on Sunday I went cycling by the Han River.
Minjae
한강에서요? 저도 지난달에 탔어요.
Hangangeseoyo? Jeodo jinandare tasseoyo.
By the Han River? I went cycling there last month too.
Hyejin
정말요? 민재 씨는 주말에 뭐 했어요?
Jeongmallyo? Minjae ssineun jumare mwo haesseoyo?
Really? What did you do at the weekend, Minjae?
Minjae
저는 집에 있었어요. 토요일에 어머니하고 김밥을 만들었어요.
Jeoneun jibe isseosseoyo. Toyoire eomeonihago gimbabeul mandeureosseoyo.
I stayed at home. On Saturday I made kimbap with my mother.
Hyejin
와, 김밥을 만들 수 있어요?
Wa, gimbabeul mandeul su isseoyo?
Oh, you can make kimbap?
Minjae
네, 조금 할 수 있어요. 일요일에는 운동하고 책을 읽었어요.
Ne, jogeum hal su isseoyo. Iryoireneun undonghago chaegeul ilgeosseoyo.
Yes, a little. On Sunday I worked out and read a book.
Hyejin
저는 일요일 저녁에 정말 피곤했어요. 자전거를 세 시간 탔어요.
Jeoneun iryoil jeonyeoge jeongmal pigonhaesseoyo. Jajeongeoreul se sigan tasseoyo.
I was really tired on Sunday evening. I rode my bike for three hours.
Minjae
세 시간이요? 커피 한 잔 드세요. 제가 샀어요.
Se siganiyo? Keopi han jan deuseyo. Jega sasseoyo.
Three hours? Have a coffee. I bought some.
Hyejin
고마워요, 민재 씨.
Gomawoyo, Minjae ssi.
Thanks, Minjae.
Understand
Did: the past with -았- / -었-
You know the present from A1: (gayo), (meogeoyo), (haeyo). The past follows the same vowel rule. If the last vowel of the stem is ㅏ or ㅗ, add -았어요 (-asseoyo); after any other vowel, add -었어요 (-eosseoyo). verbs become (haesseoyo). Vowels merge just as in the present: + -았어요 → (gasseoyo), + -았어요 → (bwasseoyo), + -었어요 → (masyeosseoyo).
An easy way to get it right: take the present form, drop 요, put ㅆ under the last syllable and add 어요. So (tayo) becomes (tasseoyo), (masyeoyo) becomes (masyeosseoyo) and (haeyo) becomes (haesseoyo). The form is the same for I, you, he, she and they.
Descriptive verbs work the same way: (joasseoyo), it was good; (pigonhaesseoyo), I was tired. With nouns, 이에요 / 예요 become (ieosseoyo) after a consonant and (yeosseoyo) after a vowel: (haksaengieosseoyo), I was a student; (gyosayeosseoyo), I was a teacher. For “didn't”, put (an) before the verb as usual, or use the long negative: (an gasseoyo) or (gaji anasseoyo), I didn't go.
| Verb | Present | Past | Meaning of the past |
|---|---|---|---|
| (gada) | (gayo) | (gasseoyo) | went |
| (boda) | (bwayo) | (bwasseoyo) | saw, watched |
| (tada) | (tayo) | (tasseoyo) | rode, took (a bus) |
| (meokda) | (meogeoyo) | (meogeosseoyo) | ate |
| (mandeulda) | (mandeureoyo) | (mandeureosseoyo) | made |
| (masida) | (masyeoyo) | (masyeosseoyo) | drank |
| (hada) | (haeyo) | (haesseoyo) | did |
| (eotteota) | (eottaeyo?) | (eottaesseoyo?) | how was it? |
And then: -고
To join two actions in one sentence, add -고 (-go) to the stem of the first verb, with no other change: (mannada) → (mannago), (undonghada) → (undonghago), (mandeulda) → (mandeulgo). It means “and” or “and then”.
Only the last verb shows the tense. The verb with -고 stays in its plain form, and the past at the end covers the whole sentence: (chingureul mannago yeonghwareul bwasseoyo), I met a friend and watched a film. Between two full sentences, use (geurigo), and.
Two small words from the dialogue: (jega), I, as you know from A1, stresses who did it: (jega sasseoyo), I bought it. And (gomawoyo), thanks, is the everyday polite form of (gomapseumnida), a little warmer and less formal.
- 친구를 만나고 영화를 봤어요.Chingureul mannago yeonghwareul bwasseoyo.I met a friend and watched a film.
- 일요일에는 운동하고 책을 읽었어요.Iryoireneun undonghago chaegeul ilgeosseoyo.On Sunday I worked out and read a book.
- 김밥을 만들고 한강에 갔어요.Gimbabeul mandeulgo Hangange gasseoyo.I made kimbap and went to the Han River.
When? Last weekend, two days ago
Time words usually come at the start of the sentence. (eoje, yesterday) and (oneul, today) never take 에; days of the week and (jumal, weekend) usually do: (toyoire), on Saturday; (jumare), at the weekend.
For “last”, put (jinan) before the time word: (jinan jumal), last weekend. “Last week” and “last month” are written as one word: (jinanju), (jinandal). “Last year” has its own word: (jangnyeon).
For “ago”, put (jeone) after the length of time: (iteul jeone), two days ago; (iljuil jeone), a week ago; (sam nyeon jeone), three years ago. (iteul) is the native Korean word for “two days”; years use Sino-Korean numbers with (nyeon). For hours, use native numbers with (sigan), hour, time: (se sigan), three hours; (jajeongeoreul se sigan tasseoyo), I cycled for three hours.
- 지난 주말에 한강에서 자전거를 탔어요.Jinan jumare Hangangeseo jajeongeoreul tasseoyo.Last weekend I went cycling by the Han River.
- 이틀 전에 김밥을 만들었어요.Iteul jeone gimbabeul mandeureosseoyo.I made kimbap two days ago.
- 작년에 부산에 갔어요.Jangnyeone Busane gasseoyo.I went to Busan last year.
More in the grammar: Linking actions: -고, -아서/-어서, -(으)면서, -다가 · The past tense: -았- / -었-
New words
- 주말jumalweekend · (jumare), at the weekend
- 뭐 했어요?Mwo haesseoyo?what did you do? · (mwo), what, is the everyday form of (mueot).
- 같이gachitogether · (chinguhago gachi), together with a friend
- 영화yeonghwafilm, movie
- 봤어요bwasseoyosaw, watched · past of (boda), to see, to watch
- 어땠어요?Eottaesseoyo?how was it? · past of (eottaeyo?), how is it? Learn it as a word for now.
- 재미있었어요jaemiisseosseoyoit was fun, it was interesting · past of (jaemiisseoyo); the opposite is (jaemieopseosseoyo), it was boring
- 한강Hangangthe Han River · the river through Seoul, with parks and bike paths along both banks
- 자전거jajeongeobicycle
- 타다tadato ride, to take (a bike, bus, train) · The thing you ride takes 을 / 를: (jajeongeoreul tayo), I ride a bike.
- 지난jinanlast, past · (jinan jumal), last weekend; written together in (jinanju), last week, and (jinandal), last month
- 김밥gimbapkimbap, rice and fillings rolled in seaweed
- 만들다mandeuldato make · (mandeureoyo), (mandeureosseoyo)
- 피곤했어요pigonhaesseoyoI was tired · past of (pigonhaeyo), from (pigonhada), to be tired
Practise
1.Hyejin wants to say “On Saturday I went to Busan.” Which sentence is correct?
2.Minjae wants to say “I was a student.” Which is correct?
3.Put the words in order: say that you met a friend and watched a film.
Tap the words below in the right order.I met a friend and watched a film.
4.Match the time words with their meanings.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
5.Your colleague asks (yeonghwaneun eottaesseoyo?). Which answer fits?
6.Put the words in order: say where you went cycling last weekend.
Tap the words below in the right order.Last weekend I went cycling by the Han River.
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
주말에 뭐 했어요?
Jumare mwo haesseoyo?
What did you do at the weekend?
Listen, then say it out loud, as close to the recording as you can.
Check
Five questions on this chapter. Then mark it as finished to add its words to your review deck.
0 of 5 answered.