TOPIK II · LEVEL 3
-아/어 두다(놓다)
-아/어 두다(놓다) means you do something on purpose and leave the result in place, usually so it is ready for later.
시제·상Tense & aspectHan: 가다 is intransitive, so there is no object whose result can be kept ready, and -아/어 두다 does not fit. To say you went first and stayed there, use -아/어 있다.
Examples
시험 전에 단어를 미리 외워 두세요.Memorize the words ahead of time, before the exam.
손님이 오기 전에 음식을 만들어 놓았어요.I made the food before the guests came.
비행기 표는 지난달에 예약해 뒀어요.I already booked the plane ticket last month.
더워서 창문을 열어 놓고 잤어요.It was hot, so I slept with the window left open.
Don’t mix up
-아/어 두다(놓다)vs-아/어 있다-아/어 두다 means someone deliberately did something to an object (을/를); -아/어 있다 only describes the resulting state, with intransitive or passive verbs: 제가 창문을 열어 놓았어요 vs 창문이 열려 있어요.-아/어 두다(놓다)vs-아/어 버리다-아/어 버리다 stresses that an action is completely finished, often with regret or relief; -아/어 두다 stresses keeping the result for later: 케이크를 다 먹어 버렸어요 vs 케이크를 냉장고에 넣어 두었어요.How to build it
V+아/어 두다
V+아/어 놓다
사다 → 사 두다 / 사 놓다, 예약하다 → 예약해 두다 / 예약해 놓다
- Use it with action verbs, mostly transitive ones that take 을/를 and leave a lasting result. It does not work with adjectives. For intransitive verbs like 가다 or 앉다, use -아/어 있다 instead.
- 두다 and 놓다 mean almost the same thing; 놓다 sounds more conversational. In speech both usually contract: 해 놓았어요 → 해 놨어요, 해 두었어요 → 해 뒀어요.
- It often comes with 미리 and the past tense to show that the preparation is already done: 미리 예약해 뒀어요.
Classic mistake
Wrong: 친구보다 먼저 식당에 가 두었어요.
Right: 친구보다 먼저 식당에 가 있었어요.
가다 is intransitive, so there is no object whose result can be kept ready, and -아/어 두다 does not fit. To say you went first and stayed there, use -아/어 있다.
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All TOPIK grammar- -던-던 describes a noun with an action that was ongoing, repeated or left unfinished in the past: 'that I used to / was doing'.
- -고 말다Says that something ended up happening in the end, usually against one's wishes or expectations (often with regret); with -겠다 it expresses strong determination.
- -곤 하다-곤 하다 says something was done repeatedly, as a habit: 'used to / would often'.
- -는 중이다Shows that someone is right in the middle of an action, either now or at a given moment in the past.
- -아/어 오다 (화자 쪽으로)Shows that someone else's action is directed toward the speaker or the speaker's side: 'X contacted us, X proposed to me, X came asking'. Common in reports and news.
- -아/어 가다/오다-아/어 가다 means a change continuing from now into the future; -아/어 오다 means a change that has continued up to now.
- -아/어 버리다-아/어 버리다 shows that an action is completely finished and gone, usually adding the speaker's feeling of regret ("ended up") or relief ("got it over with").
- -았/었었--았/었었- is the 'more past' form: something was true or done in the past but is no longer so.
- -(으)ㅁ-(으)ㅁ turns a verb or adjective into a noun; it is used in notes, notices, memos and written records.