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Korean · TOPIK Band 1 · Chapter 34

어제 뭐 했어요?What did you do yesterday?

Eoje mwo haesseoyo?

Talking about the past: the first past tense "-았/었어요". Vocabulary: 어제, 그저께, 지난주, 지난달, 작년, 어젯밤, 청소하다, 쉬다, 보내다, 끝나다, 시작하다. Key grammar: for a finished action, add "-았어요/-었어요" to the verb stem. If the stem vowel is ㅏ/ㅗ → "-았어요", otherwise → "-었어요", and "하다" → "했어요": 가다 → 갔어요, 먹다 → 먹었어요, 마시다 → 마셨어요, 공부하다 → 공부했어요. Use it with words like 어제, 지난주: "어제 친구를 만났어요" (I met a friend yesterday). English speakers add a past word but leave the verb in the present "-아/어요": "어제 학교에 가요" ✗ → "어제 학교에 갔어요" ✓. Hangul corner: contracted past forms — 가+았=갔 [갇], 오+았=왔, 보+았=봤, 하+였=했.

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Dialogue

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어제 가요 / 어제 갔어요

  1. Jieun마ma이i클keul씨ssi,어eo제je뭐mwo했haess어eo요yo?Michael, what did you do yesterday?
  2. Michael어eo제je학hak교gyo에e가ga요yo.그geu리ri고go친chin구gu를reul만man나na요yo.Yesterday I go to school. And I meet a friend. (slip: with a past word the verb must be past — "어제 학교에 갔어요")
  3. Jieun"어eo제je"에e는neun과gwa거geo예ye요yo:"갔gass어eo요yo","만man났nass어eo요yo".With "어제" it is the past: "갔어요", "만났어요".
  4. Michael아a,어eo제je학hak교gyo에e갔gass어eo요yo.그geu리ri고go친chin구gu를reul만man났nass어eo요yo.Ah, yesterday I went to school. And I met a friend.
  5. Jieun완wan벽byeok해hae요yo!갔gass어eo요yo,봤bwass어eo요yo,먹meog었eoss어eo요yo—다da과gwa거geo예ye요yo.Perfect! 갔어요, 봤어요, 먹었어요 — all past.
  6. Michael이i제je과gwa거geo를reul잘jal쓸sseul수su있iss어eo요yo!Now I can use the past well!

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지난 주말— Last weekend

  1. Michael지ji은eun씨ssi,지ji난nan주ju말mar에e뭐mwo했haess어eo요yo?Jieun, what did you do last weekend?
  2. Jieun토to요yo일ir에e부bu산san에e갔gass어eo요yo.바ba다da를reul봤bwass어eo요yo.On Saturday I went to Busan. I saw the sea.
  3. Michael좋jo았at겠gess어eo요yo!뭐mwo먹meog었eoss어eo요yo?That must have been nice! What did you eat?
  4. Jieun생saeng선seon을eul먹meog었eoss어eo요yo.그geu리ri고go일ir요yo일ir에e는neun집jib에e서seo쉬swi었eoss어eo요yo.I ate fish. And on Sunday I rested at home.
  5. Michael저jeo는neun지ji난nan주ju에e한han국gug어eo를reul공gong부bu했haess어eo요yo.Last week I studied Korean.
  6. Jieun와wa,정jeong말mal잘jal했haess어eo요yo!실sil력lyeog이i늘neur었eoss어eo요yo.Wow, you did really well! Your skills have improved.

Vocabulary

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어eo제je

nounyesterday

그geu저jeo께kke

nounthe day before yesterday

지ji난nan주ju

nounlast week

지ji난nan달dal

nounlast month

작jang년nyeon

nounlast year

어eo젯jet밤bam

nounlast night

청cheong소so하ha다da

verbto clean (→ 청소해요)

쉬swi다da

verbto rest (→ 쉬어요)

보bo내nae다da

verbto spend (time), send (→ 보내요)

끝kkeut나na다da

verbto end, be over (→ 끝나요)

시si작jak하ha다da

verbto start (→ 시작해요)

Grammar

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The past tense: "-았/었어요"

Explanation

Until now you spoke in the present "-아/어요". For a finished action (past), the same rule gets a "ㅆ": if the last stem vowel is ㅏ or ㅗ → "-았어요", otherwise → "-었어요". "하다" becomes "했어요". E.g. 먹다 → 먹었어요, 읽다 → 읽었어요, 마시다 → 마셨어요, 공부하다 → 공부했어요. If the stem ends in a vowel, it contracts: 가다 → 갔어요, 오다 → 왔어요, 보다 → 봤어요, 만나다 → 만났어요. It is often used with words like 어제, 지난주, 작년: "어제 친구를 만났어요" (I met a friend yesterday), "지난주에 영화를 봤어요" (I watched a movie last week). English speakers add "어제" but leave the verb in the present: "어제 학교에 가요" ✗ → "어제 학교에 갔어요" ✓. The time word alone is not enough — the verb also has to be in the past.

Examples

  • 어제 친구를 만났어요.Yesterday I met a friend.
  • 지난주에 영화를 봤어요.Last week I watched a movie.
  • 어젯밤에 방을 청소했어요.Last night I cleaned my room.
  • 주말에 집에서 쉬었어요.I rested at home on the weekend.

Hangul

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한글: 과거형의 축약과 ㅆ 소리— Hangul: past contractions and the ㅆ sound

Use the romanization and read aloud:

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