-었었-Korean pre-final ending · TOPIK 3
-eotsseot-
An ending of a word referring to a past event that is different from the present or does not continue to the present.
형태Forms
Which one you use is decided by what comes in front of it — see the usage rule under each meaning below.
An ending of a word referring to a past event that is different from the present or does not continue to the present.
현재와 비교하여 다르거나 현재로 이어지지 않는 과거의 사건을 나타내는 어미.
쓰임Usage
Attaches after verbs and adjectives whose final vowel is not ㅏ or ㅗ, and before another ending.
끝음절의 모음이 ‘ㅏ, ㅗ’가 아닌 동사와 형용사 뒤에, 다른 어미 앞에 붙여 쓴다.
예문Examples
유민이는 중학교 때 키가 컸었다.
Yumin was tall in middle school.
우리 딸은 어릴 때 인형처럼 예뻤었어.
Our daughter was as pretty as a doll when she was little.
그 식당은 개업 초기에 손님이 적었었다.
That restaurant had few customers when it first opened.
대화In conversation
집 열쇠가 어디로 갔지?
Where did the house key go?
제가 탁자 위에 놓아 두었었는데요.
I had placed it on the table.
자주 묻는 질문Common questions
What does -었었- mean in Korean?
-었었- is a pre-final ending introduced at 3급 (TOPIK 3). An ending of a word referring to a past event that is different from the present or does not continue to the present.
When do you use -었었-?
Attaches after verbs and adjectives whose final vowel is not ㅏ or ㅗ, and before another ending. The other shape is -았었-, -였었- — same point, different environment.
What is the difference between -었었- and -았었-?
None in meaning — they are two shapes of the same pre-final ending, and which one appears is decided by the sound in front of it, not by what you want to say.
What TOPIK level is -었었-?
3급 — TOPIK 3, lower intermediate. It is one of 67 grammar points at that level.
Definition, usage note, examples and dialogue from the 국립국어원 한국어기초사전, used under CC BY-SA 2.0 KR.