Grammar
-았/었던
refer back to a past event
Form
Verb/adjective + -았/었던 before a noun: “that had…”, “which had…”.
Function
Modifies a noun by recalling a previous event or state, often regarded as completed or separate from the present.
Why this form?
-(으)ㄴ — “that …-ed”: a more neutral past modifier, without necessarily highlighting recollection.
-던 — “that used to…”: often recalls an ongoing or habitual past action; -았/었던 more clearly presents a previous event.
Useful conjugations
가다 → 갔던 ; 먹다 → 먹었던 ; 아프다 → 아팠던. -았/었- follows ordinary past-stem formation.
Forms not to confuse
- -(으)ㄴ
어제 읽은 책이에요. — It is the book I read yesterday.
- -던
예전에 살던 집이에요. — It is the house I used to live in.
Examples
무슨 일이 있었던 거예요? — What had happened?
예전에 갔던 곳이에요. — It is a place I had visited before.