Lesson 4: Past, Present, Future Tense for Korean Verbs

Past Tense Practice

I go to school. – 나는 학교에 갑니다.
(na-neun-hak-gyo-eh-gam-ni-da)
If you want to change to past tense 갑니다 changes to 갔습니다
I went to school yesterday. – 나는 어제 학교에 갔습니다.
(na-neun-uh-je-hak-gyo-eh-gat-seum-ni-da.)

Here are some verbs with a changed form of past tense.
English verb in present tense – Basic Korean verb – present tense – past tense

Go -가다 (ga-da) – 갑니다 (gam-ni-da) – 갔습니다 (gat-seum-ni-da)
Come -오다(oh-da) – 옵니다 (ohm-ni-da) – 왔습니다 (wat-seum-ni-da)
Buy – 사다 (sa-da) – 삽니다 (sam-ni-da) – 샀습니다 (sat-seum-ni-da)
Wear – 입다 (ib-da) – 입습니다 (ib-seum-ni-da) – 입었습니다 (ib-ut-seum-ni-da)
Open – 열다 (yul-da) – 엽니다 (yum-ni-da) – 열었습니다 (yul-ut-seum-ni-da)
Close – 닫다 (dat-da) – 닫습니다 (dat-seum-ni-da) – 닫았습니다 (dat-at-seum-ni-da)
Walk – 걷다 (gut-da) – 걷습니다 (gut-seum-ni-da) – 걸었습니다 (gul-ut-seum-ni-da)
Run – 뛰다 (ddui-da) – 뜁니다 (dduim-ni-da) – 뛰었습니다 (ddui-ut-seum-ni-da)
Talk-말하다(mal-ha-da)-말합니다(mal-ham-ni-da)-말했습니다(mal-haet-seum-ni-da)
Fight-싸우다(ssa-oo-da)-싸웁니다(ssa-oom-ni-da)-싸웠습니다(ssa- wuat-seum-ni-da)

Future Tense Practice

I go to school. – 나는 학교에 갑니다.
(na-neun-hak-gyo-eh-gam-ni-da)
If you want to change to future tense 갑니다 changes to 갈겁니다
I am going to school tomorrow.-나는 내일 학교에 갈겁니다.
(na-neun-nae-il-hak-gyo-eh-gal-gum-ni-da)

Here are some verbs with a changed form of future tense.
English verb in present tense – Basic Korean verb – present tense-future tense

Play – 놀다 (nol-da) – 놉니다 (nom-ni-da) – 놀겁니다 (nol-gum-ni-da)
Eat – 먹다 (muk-da) -먹습니다 (muk-seum-ni-da) – 먹을겁니다 (muk-eul-gum-ni-da)
Drink – 마시다 (ma-shi-da) – 마십니다 (ma-shim-ni-da) – 마실겁니다 (ma-shil-gum-ni-da)
Dance – 춤추다 (choom-choo-da) – 춤춥니다 (choom-choomni-da) – 춤출겁니다 (choom-chool-gum-ni-da)
Write – 쓰다 (sseu-da) – 씁니다 (sseum-ni-da) – 쓸겁니다 (sseul-gum-ni-da)
Sleep – 자다 (ja-da) – 잡니다 (jam-ni-da) – 잘겁니다 (jal-gum-ni-da)
Drive – 운전하다 (oon-jun-ha-da) – 운전합니다 (oon-un-ham-ni-da) – 운전할겁니다 (oon-jun hal-gum-ni-da)
Meet – 만나다 (man-na-da) – 만납니다 (man-nam-ni-da) – 만날겁니다 (man-nal-gum-ni-da)
Listen – 듣다 (deut-da) – 듣습니다 (deut-seum-ni-da) – 들을겁니다 (deul-eul-gum-ni-da)
Sing – 노래하다 (no-lae-ha-da) – 노래합니다 (no-lae-ham-ni-da) – 노래할겁니다 (no-lae-hal-gum-ni-da)

15 thoughts on “Lesson 4: Past, Present, Future Tense for Korean Verbs”

  1. it’s long i really need a real dictionary as in the book so ican talk to my classmate in korean… iam the only one talks in korean

  2. But i still don’t quite understand the language. I thought that people can talk informally or formally in korean? Is this formal or informal? But thanks anyway! 😀

  3. I recently found your website. I love it! The way that you explain things is so simple and I really like the fact that you translate a lot of the words that may be used everyday. Please keep up your fantastic work. (^_^)

  4. Some of the romanization is correct but you n3eed to check the letters. For example, for some verbs in the past, you put the suffixes: seum-ni-da. That is the honorific use and theres nothing wrong with that. However, the “seum” is supposed to be “seub”. That symbol under the “eu” is not ‘M’ it is ‘B,P’. The ‘M’ is the symbol that looks like a square…

  5. i dont understand the past tense, why there are some added with ᄊ습니다 , and some are added with 았습니다, and some added with 었습니다, and some with 였습니다. What is the difference and the indicator?

    Anyone please answer me T.T.
    i am desperate of curiosity T_T

    1. 았습니다 is used after verbs that terminate withㅏ and ㅗ
      었습니다 is used in the other cases.

      there are cases where, like in this case: 싸우다 + 었습니다 the 우 and 었 combines together = 싸웠습니다

      verbs that terminate with ㄷ, ㅂ, ㅅ, ㅎ can be irregular, for example: 걷다 that changes ㄷ in ㄹ—> 걸었습니다

      in the case of the irregular auxiliary verb 하다 with the past it can be 했다 or 하였다

  6. You said that the present sentence (na-neun-hak-gyo-eh-gam-ni-da) changes to past tense to this : (na-neun-uh-je-hak-gyo-eh-gat-seum-ni-da.) by changing the conjugation at the end. But what is the ‘uh-je’ suffix for? thanx

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