-았/었던

Modifies a noun with a past event or state that is recalled as finished and no longer continuing: 'that I once …', 'that used to be'. It sounds more reminiscent and distant than -(으)ㄴ or -던.

시제·상Tense & aspect

Han: The quiet is a past state that no longer holds, so the adjective needs 았/었던; 조용한 would mean it is quiet now.

Examples

한때 사람들로 북적였던 시장이 지금은 한산하기만 하다.The market that was once bustling with people is now completely quiet.

여기가 우리가 처음 만났던 카페예요.This is the café where we first met.

학생이었던 시절에는 시험이 세상에서 제일 큰 걱정이었다.When I was a student, exams were the biggest worry in the world.

Don’t mix up

-았/었던vs-던-던 suggests a habit or an unfinished action; -았/었던 a completed or one-time past: 자주 가던 식당 (a place I used to go to) vs 한 번 갔던 식당 (a place I went to once).

-았/었던vs-(으)ㄴ어제 본 영화 is neutral; 어제 봤던 영화 recalls it, e.g. when bringing it up again: 지난번에 말했던 그 책 있잖아요.

How to build it

V/A+았/었던+N

N+이었던/였던+N

가다 → 갔던 곳; 먹다 → 먹었던 음식; 하다 → 했던 말; 예쁘다 → 예뻤던 모습; 조용하다 → 조용했던 마을; 학생 → 학생이었던 시절; 친구 → 친구였던 사람

-던 shows an action that was ongoing, repeated or left unfinished; -았/었던 a completed past event: 읽던 책 (a book I was reading) vs 읽었던 책 (a book I read before).
With adjectives and 이다 it is the natural way to describe a past state that is no longer true: 조용했던 마을 (a once-quiet village). Plain -(으)ㄴ would describe the present: 조용한 마을.
With verbs, -(으)ㄴ also marks a completed action; -았/었던 adds recollection or 'once, but not any more': 전에 만났던 사람, 지난번에 말했던 책.
It often goes with time words such as 어렸을 때, 예전에, 처음, 한때.

Classic mistake

Wrong: ~~어렸을 때 조용한 우리 동네가 지금은 아주 시끄러워졌어요.~~

Right: 어렸을 때 조용했던 우리 동네가 지금은 아주 시끄러워졌어요.

The quiet is a past state that no longer holds, so the adjective needs 았/었던; 조용한 would mean it is quiet now.

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