Korean grammar patterns › Level 3
-았/었었-
had done / used to (past situation that is no longer true)
Level 3 · TOPIK II · intermediate
How to use it
Double past marker: shows that something happened or was true in the past but is cut off from the present (it has changed or ended). 여기 왔었어요 = I came here before (but not now).
Forming it
| 살다 | → 살았었어요 |
| 먹다 | → 먹었었어요 |
| 하다 | → 했었어요 |
| 길다 | → 길었었어요 |
Not for simple recent actions: 어제 밥을 먹었어요 (✗ 먹었었어요 sounds odd). Don't use it for states that still continue.
Examples
어렸을 때 바닷가 근처에 살았었어요.
When I was young, I lived near the sea.
예전에는 머리가 길었었는데 지금은 짧아요.
I used to have long hair, but now it's short.
Compared with similar patterns
-았/었- is the simple past (the result may still continue); -았/었었- stresses contrast with the present. -았/었던 is the noun-modifier form.