TOPIK II · LEVEL 3
-았/었었-
-았/었었- is the 'more past' form: something was true or done in the past but is no longer so.
시제·상Tense & aspectHan: -았/었었- means it's no longer true, so it contradicts 지금도 'still now'.
Examples
그 식당은 예전에 정말 유명했었어요.That restaurant used to be really famous.
저는 어렸을 때 부산에 살았었어요.I used to live in Busan when I was young (not anymore).
작년에 이 책을 읽었었는데 내용이 기억이 안 나요.I read this book last year, but I don't remember the content.
Don’t mix up
-았/었었-vs-았/었--았/었- = it happened; -았/었었- = it happened and that situation has ended or changed.How to build it
V/A+았었/었었/했었
살다 → 살았었다, 날씬하다 → 날씬했었다
- Implies a contrast with now: 서울에 살았었어요 (I don't live there anymore).
- Don't overuse it; plain -았/었- is usually enough.
Classic mistake
Wrong: 지금도 서울에 살았었어요.
Right: 지금도 서울에 살아요.
-았/었었- means it's no longer true, so it contradicts 지금도 'still now'.
Practise -았/었었- on real TOPIK questions
Hannim plans each day up to your exam date: questions on this pattern, reviews, full mock papers and graded writing. 7 days free, no card.
Start 7-day free trialMore level 3 grammar
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 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.
- -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").
- -(으)ㅁ-(으)ㅁ turns a verb or adjective into a noun; it is used in notes, notices, memos and written records.