If you are studying Korean grammar deon, this lesson is the one to keep. You will learn how -던 vs -(으)ㄴ works in real conversation, when to use it, and the mistakes English speakers make first. This is a Korean advanced grammar guide with examples, romanization, and a five-minute speaking drill.
By the end you should be able to hear -던 vs -(으)ㄴ in dramas and K-talk, then reuse it in your own sentences. Read once. Say the examples out loud. Then drill the same lines on Practice.
What -던 vs -(으)ㄴ means
-(으)ㄴ on a verb is a completed past modifier: 먹은 음식. -던 recalls a past situation, often unfinished, repeated, or emotionally remembered: 먹던 음식 (the food I was eating / used to eat). This pair is a classic advanced Korean grammar fork.
How to form it
- Completed: -(으)ㄴ + noun → 본 영화, 간 곳, 만든 음식
- Recalled / in-progress-in-the-past: -던 + noun → 보던 영화, 다니던 학교
- 았던 adds a sense of “that was then”: 좋았던 시절
- Adjectives: 예뻤던 때 vs 예쁜 옷 (different jobs)
-던 vs -(으)ㄴ examples
Use these Korean grammar deon example sentences as a speaking list. Korean first, then pronunciation, then English.
| Korean | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 아까 먹던 빵 어디 갔어요? | akka meokdeon ppang eodi gasseoyo? | Where did the bread I was eating go? |
| 어제 먹은 빵은 맛있었어요. | eoje meogeun ppangeun masisseosseoyo. | The bread I ate yesterday was good. |
| 예전에 살던 동네에 갔어요. | yejeone saldeon dongne-e gasseoyo. | I went to the neighborhood I used to live in. |
| 졸업한 학교를 방문했어요. | joreophan hakgyoreul bangmunhaesseoyo. | I visited the school I graduated from. |
| 내가 읽던 책 좀 가져다줄래요? | naega ikdeon chaek jom gajyeodajullaeyo? | Can you bring the book I was reading? |
| 그때 입었던 코트가 아직도 있어요. | geuttae ibeotdeon koteuga ajikdo isseoyo. | I still have the coat I used to wear then. |
When to use it
- Unfinished past: 마시던 커피 (the coffee I was drinking).
- Used-to places and people: 다니던 회사.
- Completed one-shot past: 마신 커피, 다닌 학교 after graduation if you mean the finished fact.
Common mistakes
These are the traps English speakers hit when they translate word-for-word. Fix the pattern, not just the vocabulary.
Watch-out
❌ 먹던 약 다 먹었어요 as if 던 = finished
✅ 먹은 약 if the course is done
던 often implies you might go back to it or it was in progress.
Watch-out
❌ Ignoring 았던
✅ 좋았던 기억 is a set advanced pattern
았던 looks back on a closed era.
Watch-out
❌ Putting 던 after adjectives the same as ㄴ
✅ 예쁜 꽃 vs 예뻤던 날
예쁜 describes now. 예뻤던 remembers then.
Mini dialogue
Read it twice. Second time, cover the English.
| Speaker | Korean | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 이 카페 처음이에요? | i kape cheoeumieyo? | Is this your first time at this café? |
| B | 아니요. 예전에 자주 오던 곳이에요. 이사한 다음에 못 왔죠. | aniyo. yejeone jaju odeon gosieyo. isahan daeume mot watjo. | No. I used to come here a lot. I haven’t since I moved. |
| A | 그때 마시던 메뉴가 아직 있어요. | geuttae masideon menyuga ajik isseoyo. | The menu you used to drink is still here. |
Don’t mix these up
ㄴ = completed modifier. 던 = recalled or incomplete past. 던데요 is a sentence ending; 던 here is a modifier. Don’t mash the lessons.
Five-minute Korean speaking practice
Korean speaking practice beats extra grammar notes. Do this once today, then again tomorrow without looking.
- Read each example slowly, Korean only.
- Say it at natural speed. Record yourself if you can.
- Cover the Korean and rebuild the sentence from English.
- Swap in your own details: your job, your city, your weekend.
Starter lines for today:
- 입던 옷을 기부했어요.
- 어제 본 영화 이야기해 줄까요?
- 함께 일했던 동료를 만났어요.
Lesson summary
- Pattern: -던 vs -(으)ㄴ
- Search topic: Korean grammar deon
- -던 recalls or leaves the past open. -(으)ㄴ closes it. Pick the one that matches the story.
- Say it out loud on Practice, then come back to Guides if a particle still feels sticky.
Homework
- Write three 던 used-to sentences and three ㄴ completed sentences.
- Describe 마시던 커피 vs 마신 커피 with objects on your desk.
- Add one 았던 시절 sentence.
Korean grammar deon: quick answers
다니던 vs 다닌?
다니던 학교 = the school I was attending / used to attend. 다닌 학교 = the school I attended (as a finished fact).
Is 던 TOPIK II only?
II loves it. You will still hear it in everyday talk about old neighborhoods.
Keep going
Want a path, not a single grammar point? Open Learn or browse the rest of this series in Korean advanced.