Past polite endings
Use -았어요 / -었어요 to talk about completed past actions in common spoken Korean.
Examples
KoreanTranslation
어제 그 글을 읽었어요。Eoje geu geureul ilgeosseoyo.
I read that passage yesterday.
주말에 친구를 만났어요。Jumare chingureul mannasseoyo.
I met a friend on the weekend.
아침에 너무 바빴어요。Achime neomu bappasseoyo.
I was very busy in the morning.
Pattern
verb stem + 았어요/었어요
How it works
Use -았어요 / -었어요 to talk about completed past actions in common spoken Korean. This pattern typically appears as verb stem + 았어요/었어요 and becomes easier when you meet it again in short, readable examples.
What to notice
- The verb form changes to reflect completed past time.
- Korean still relies heavily on context and adverbs for fuller timeline interpretation.
Why it matters
Talk about completed actions and life experience more clearly.
Use in context
Past-tense patterns make Korean much more useful for retelling scenes and simple stories.