-던
deon
Grammar · 3 senses
Past action
Examples
'김'이라는 성은 신라에 살고 있던 귀족들의 성씨였어요.
The surname '김' was the surname of the nobles who lived in Silla.
When you'd hear it
-던 appears in both conversation and writing, especially inside noun-modifying clauses such as historical descriptions, narratives, and recollections. It often sounds reflective when speakers refer to something they remember from the past.
What learners get wrong
-던 is not a general past-tense marker like -았/었-. It presents a past action as ongoing, repeated, or viewed from memory, while -았/었던 more clearly presents a completed past experience or state.
Past habitual experience
Examples
어릴 때 엄마가 해주시던 밥이 정말 맛있었어.
The food my mom would make for me when I was little was really delicious.
신입 사원일 때 자주 입던 옷인데 지금도 가끔 입어.
I wore this outfit a lot when I was new to the company, and I still wear it occasionally now.
When you'd hear it
This form is common in conversational recollections, especially when describing people, places, clothes, or food from an earlier period. It also appears in personal writing and narration, but is less typical in formal reports.
What learners get wrong
Learners often use -았/었던 whenever English says “used to.” Use -던 for a remembered recurring or ongoing situation; -았/었던 presents it as completed.
had been -ing
Examples
내가 먹던 라면을 동생이 훔쳐먹었다.
My little brother stole and ate the ramen I had been eating.
하던 일 해.
Go back to what you had been doing.
전화가 울렸을 때 읽던 책을 접고 받았다.
When the phone rang, I closed the book I had been reading and picked up the call.
When you'd hear it
Common in everyday conversation, personal stories, and drama dialogue, especially in phrases such as 하던 일. It also appears in written narratives when recalling an earlier situation.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse -던 with -았/었던: -던 presents an action as ongoing or unfinished at the relevant past time, while -았/었던 presents it as completed or experienced. In 읽던 책, the reading was interrupted; 읽었던 책 refers to a book someone had read.
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