Day 26: The past
The last big grammar day, and the easiest one in the course.
★ Take the 해요 form. Drop the 요. Add ㅆ어요. That is the whole rule. 가요 → 갔어요 · 먹어요 → 먹었어요 · 해요 → 했어요
After today you can talk about yesterday — which is most of what people actually say to each other. Until now every conversation has been stuck in the present.
1. ★★ The rule
### 해요 form − 요 + ㅆ어요
| Present | Past | |
|---|---|---|
| 가요 | 갔어요 | went |
| 와요 | 왔어요 | came |
| 해요 | 했어요 | did |
| 봐요 | 봤어요 | saw, watched |
| 마셔요 | 마셨어요 | drank |
| 먹어요 | 먹었어요 | ate |
| 읽어요 | 읽었어요 | read |
| 배워요 | 배웠어요 | learned |
| 써요 | 썼어요 | wrote |
| 들어요 | 들었어요 | listened |
★ The ㅆ just slots into the batchim position of the last syllable. 가 → 갔. 먹어 → 먹었. Nothing else changes — which means every irregular from Day 22 is already handled, because you built the 해요 form first.
더워요 → 더웠어요 · 몰라요 → 몰랐어요 · 바빠요 → 바빴어요 · 사세요 → 살았어요
⚠️ This is why Day 6 was the hub. Get the 해요 form right and the past, the future and every ending in weeks 3–4 come free.
이에요/예요 and 있어요
| Present | Past |
|---|---|
| 학생이에요 | 학생이었어요 |
| 의사예요 | 의사였어요 |
| 있어요 | 있었어요 |
| 없어요 | 없었어요 |
| 아니에요 | 아니었어요 |
2. ★ One past tense does everything
### Korean has ONE past. It covers every English past.
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 갔어요 | I went · I have gone · I had gone · I did go |
| 먹었어요 | I ate · I have eaten |
| 밥 먹었어요? | ★ Have you eaten? — the most common greeting-question in Korean |
★ There is no perfect, no pluperfect, no simple/continuous split. English speakers spend years choosing between I ate and I have eaten; Korean does not offer the choice, and context carries it without any loss.
⚠️ So do not try to build a perfect. 먹었어요 is both, and adding anything to make it "more perfect" produces something odd.
Negatives and questions
| 안 갔어요. | I didn't go |
|---|---|
| 못 갔어요. | I couldn't go |
| 아직 안 먹었어요. | I haven't eaten yet (Day 23) |
| 뭐 했어요? | What did you do? |
| 어디에 갔어요? | Where did you go? |
| 재미있었어요? | Was it fun? |
★ Question words still do not move (Day 24) — 어디에 갔어요?
3. ★★ -아/어 봤어요 — "have you ever…?"
### 해요 form − 요 + 봤어요 = "have tried / have experienced"
| 한국에 가 봤어요? | Have you been to Korea? |
|---|---|
| 김치 먹어 봤어요? | Have you tried kimchi? |
| 이 영화 봤어요? | Have you seen this film? |
| 네, 먹어 봤어요. | Yes, I've tried it |
| 아니요, 아직 안 먹어 봤어요. | No, not yet |
★ This is the English present perfect of experience, and it is the one place Korean does mark a difference. 가 봤어요 (have been, ever) is not the same as 갔어요 (went, that time).
작년에 한국에 갔어요. — I went to Korea last year. (a specific trip)한국에 가 봤어요. — I've been to Korea. (at some point, ever)
⚠️ -아/어 보다 also means "try doing something" in the present — 먹어 보세요 (try eating it), 입어 봐도 돼요? (Day 18). ★ Same 보다, three weeks apart.
4. When
| 어제 | yesterday | 그저께 | day before yesterday | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 아까 | ★ earlier today | 방금 | ★ just now | |
| 지난주 | last week | 지난달 | last month | |
| 작년 | last year | 예전에 | in the past, back then | |
| 처음 | the first time | 벌써 | already |
아까 전화했어요. — I called earlier.방금 왔어요. — I just got here.벌써 먹었어요. — I've already eaten.
⚠️ 아까 is only for today — a few hours ago. For yesterday or earlier, use 어제 or 지난주.
5. ★ Past + 거예요 = "probably did"
Day 25's guess-ending works on the past too:
민수 씨는 벌써 갔을 거예요. — Minsu has probably already left.비쌌을 거예요. — It was probably expensive.
Recognise it; you do not need to produce it yet.
6. Dialogue
민수: 알렉스 씨, 주말에 뭐 했어요?Alex: 부산에 갔어요. 친구랑 같이요.민수: 어땠어요? — Alex: 정말 좋았어요! 바다를 봤어요.민수: 회 먹어 봤어요?Alex: 네, 먹어 봤어요. 처음이었어요.민수: 맛있었어요?Alex: 음… 조금 이상했어요. 그런데 괜찮았어요.민수: 하하. KTX 탔어요?Alex: 네, 탔어요. 세 시간 걸렸어요. 표는 아까 말한 대로 좀 비쌌어요.민수: 그럴 거예요. 주말이었으니까요.Alex: 민수 씨는 주말에 뭐 했어요?민수: 저는 아무것도 안 했어요. 집에서 쉬었어요. 너무 피곤했어요.
★ Read the last word of each sentence: 했어요, 갔어요, 좋았어요, 봤어요, 먹어 봤어요, 이었어요, 맛있었어요, 이상했어요, 괜찮았어요, 탔어요, 걸렸어요, 비쌌어요, 안 했어요, 쉬었어요, 피곤했어요. Fifteen past forms, and every one is the 해요 form plus ㅆ어요.★ And 회 먹어 봤어요? (ever tried) against 회 먹었어요? (did you eat it) — section 3, live.
7. Exercises
A. Give the past.
- 가요 2. 와요 3. 해요 4. 봐요 5. 마셔요 6. 먹어요 7. 읽어요 8. 써요
B. ★ Irregulars — still just one step.
- 더워요 2. 몰라요 3. 바빠요 4. 들어요 5. 매워요
C. 이에요 / 있어요.
- 학생이에요 → 2. 의사예요 → 3. 있어요 → 4. 없어요 →
D. Negative past.
- I didn't go. 2. I couldn't go. 3. I haven't eaten yet. 4. I did nothing.
E. ★ 갔어요 or 가 봤어요?
- I went to Korea last year.
- I've been to Korea. (ever)
- Have you tried kimchi?
- I ate kimchi yesterday.
F. Translate.
- What did you do at the weekend?
- It was really good.
- Was it delicious?
- I just got here.
- I've already eaten.
- It took three hours.
G. ⚠️ Fix the mistake.
- 가았어요.
- 나는 먹어 있었어요. (meaning: I have eaten)
- 학생이었어요? → 학생이에요었어요?
- 아까 지난주에 갔어요.
Answers
A. 1. 갔어요 2. 왔어요 3. 했어요 4. 봤어요 5. 마셨어요 6. 먹었어요 7. 읽었어요 8. 썼어요 B. 1. 더웠어요 2. 몰랐어요 3. 바빴어요 4. 들었어요 5. 매웠어요 C. 1. 학생이었어요 2. 의사였어요 3. 있었어요 4. 없었어요 D. 1. 안 갔어요 2. 못 갔어요 3. 아직 안 먹었어요 4. 아무것도 안 했어요 E. 1. 갔어요 2. 가 봤어요 3. 먹어 봤어요? 4. 먹었어요 F. 1. 주말에 뭐 했어요? 2. 정말 좋았어요. 3. 맛있었어요? 4. 방금 왔어요. 5. 벌써 먹었어요. 6. 세 시간 걸렸어요. G. 1. 갔어요 — the ㅆ goes into 가, not after 아 2. 먹었어요 — there is no perfect to build 3. 학생이었어요 4. 아까 is today only — pick one time word
8. Today's 10 sentences (flashcards)
- 주말에 뭐 했어요? — What did you do at the weekend?
- 부산에 갔어요. — I went to Busan
- 친구를 만났어요. — I met a friend
- 정말 좋았어요. — It was really good
- 밥 먹었어요? — Have you eaten?
- 아직 안 먹었어요. — I haven't eaten yet
- 한국에 가 봤어요? — Have you been to Korea?
- 김치 먹어 봤어요. — I've tried kimchi
- 방금 왔어요. — I just got here
- 너무 피곤했어요. — I was so tired
9. 📲 Upload to LangNote
Upload section 1 (the rule), section 3 (-아/어 봤어요) and section 8 → study language Korean.
| Mission | What to do with it today |
|---|---|
| 🎧 Podcast | The dialogue — fifteen past forms in twelve lines |
| ✍️ Dictation | Today's key mission. The ㅆ is a batchim and easy to miss — 갔어요 vs 가요 |
| 🗣 Shadowing | ★ Tell your real yesterday — ten sentences, out loud, all past |
| 📖 Vocab | Verbs re-entered as three forms: 가다 / 가요 / 갔어요 |
| 🎭 Role-play | "What did you do at the weekend?" — five turns, all past |
★ Tell someone about your weekend tonight, out loud, even alone. Ten sentences.This is the highest-value speaking exercise in the whole thirty days, because 주말에 뭐 했어요? is the question you will be asked most often for the rest of your life in Korean.
Tomorrow: adjectives — and why Korean does not really have any.
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