-(았/었/였)던
(at/eot/yeot)deon
Grammar · 1 sense
Had done/Used to be
Examples
시끄러웠던 교실이 요즘에 아주 조용해요.
The classroom that used to be noisy is very quiet these days.
우리가 살았던 집은 매우 넓었어요.
The house we had lived in was very spacious.
저는 어릴 때 했던 게임을 아직 좋아해요.
I still like the games I played when I was young
When you'd hear it
This pattern is common in everyday conversation, personal storytelling, and written descriptions, and is not especially formal. It often appears when speakers look back on an earlier situation or experience, including in dramas and essays.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse it with -던: -(았/었/였)던 presents the past event or state as completed, while -던 commonly recalls something ongoing, repeated, or unfinished at that time. Compare the completed focus in 우리가 살았던 집 with the more open-ended recall of 살던 집.
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