Past and Future
Korean Grammar 1
Course 1 · Chapter 7 · Verbs 2: Past, Future and Negation
⏳ Verbs 2: Past, Future and Negation — 과거, 미래, 부정
Korean Grammar 1, chapter 6 gave you the polite present, which Korean uses for the present and often for the near future. This chapter adds the two other tenses you need every day, the past and the future, and the two ways of saying not. Everything builds on the 아요/어요 forms you already know.
Future: stem + -ㄹ 거예요 (after a vowel) or -을 거예요 (after a consonant).
Not: put 안 in front of the verb, or add -지 않아요 to the stem.
The past: -았어요 / -었어요
The vowel rule is the same as for the present: ㅏ or ㅗ in the stem gives 았, any other vowel gives 었. Take the polite present, remove 요, and add ㅆ어요. When the stem ends in a vowel, the same contractions as in Chapter 6 apply, and the extra ㅆ lands in the contracted block as its final consonant.
| Dictionary form | Present | Past | Said |
|---|---|---|---|
| 가다 to go | 가요 | 갔어요 gasseoyo | [가써요] |
| 오다 to come | 와요 | 왔어요 wasseoyo | [와써요] |
| 보다 to see | 봐요 | 봤어요 bwasseoyo | [봐써요] |
| 마시다 to drink | 마셔요 | 마셨어요 masyeosseoyo | [마셔써요] |
| 주다 to give | 줘요 | 줬어요 jwosseoyo | [줘써요] |
| 쓰다 to write | 써요 | 썼어요 sseosseoyo | [써써요] |
| 먹다 to eat | 먹어요 | 먹었어요 meogeosseoyo | [머거써요] |
| 앉다 to sit | 앉아요 | 앉았어요 anjasseoyo | [안자써요] |
| 있다 to be, to have | 있어요 | 있었어요 isseosseoyo | [이써써요] |
| 공부하다 to study | 공부해요 | 공부했어요 gongbuhaesseoyo | [공부해써요] |
The past of 이다 and 아니다
| Present | Past |
|---|---|
| 학생이에요 (after a consonant) | 학생이었어요 haksaeng-ieosseoyo (was a student) |
| 의사예요 (after a vowel) | 의사였어요 uisa-yeosseoyo (was a doctor) |
| 학생이 아니에요 | 학생이 아니었어요 haksaeng-i anieosseoyo (was not a student) |
Time words
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 어제 eoje | yesterday |
| 오늘 oneul | today |
| 내일 naeil | tomorrow |
| 지금 jigeum | now |
Use them where English does, usually near the start: 어제 학교에 갔어요. eoje hakgyo-e gasseoyo. (Yesterday I went to school.)
The future: -(으)ㄹ 거예요
The ending is -ㄹ 거예요 after a vowel and -을 거예요 after a consonant. It literally means "it is the case that (I) will…": 거 is a word for "thing, fact", followed by 예요 (Korean Grammar 1, chapter 5). The ㄹ is written at the foot of the stem's last block.
| Dictionary form | Stem ends in | Future | Said |
|---|---|---|---|
| 가다 to go | vowel | 갈 거예요 gal geoyeyo | [갈 꺼예요] |
| 마시다 to drink | vowel | 마실 거예요 masil geoyeyo | [마실 꺼예요] |
| 공부하다 to study | vowel | 공부할 거예요 gongbuhal geoyeyo | [공부할 꺼예요] |
| 먹다 to eat | consonant | 먹을 거예요 meogeul geoyeyo | [머글 꺼예요] |
| 읽다 to read | consonant | 읽을 거예요 ilgeul geoyeyo | [일글 꺼예요] |
| 살다 to live | ㄹ | 살 거예요 sal geoyeyo | [살 꺼예요] |
The present tense with a time word is also used for plans, as in English "I'm going tomorrow": 내일 가요. You will hear both 내일 가요 and 내일 갈 거예요.
Saying "not": 안 and -지 않다
안 + verb
안 is a separate word placed right before the verb. It never changes with the sound of the verb and works with every tense.
| Tense | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| present | 안 가요. an gayo. | (I) don't go. |
| present | 커피를 안 마셔요. keopi-reul an masyeoyo. | (I) don't drink coffee. |
| past | 안 갔어요. an gasseoyo. | (I) didn't go. |
| future | 안 갈 거예요. an gal geoyeyo. | (I) won't go. |
Stem + 지 않다
The second way is a little more formal and is common in writing. Add -지 to the stem and follow it with 않다 (to not do), which is conjugated like any verb: 않아요 anayo [아나요], past 않았어요 anasseoyo.
| Tense | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| present | 가지 않아요. gaji anayo. | (I) don't go. |
| present | 먹지 않아요. meokji anayo. [먹찌 아나요] | (I) don't eat. |
| past | 가지 않았어요. gaji anasseoyo. | (I) didn't go. |
| future | 가지 않을 거예요. gaji aneul geoyeyo. | (I) won't go. |
| 하다 verb | 공부하지 않아요. gongbuhaji anayo. | (I) don't study. |
This form has no trouble with 하다 verbs, which is why many learners prefer it for them. The meaning is the same as 안.
🗣️ In Use — 실제 예문
Notice the tense of each verb and whether it is positive or negative.
① Yesterday
② Tomorrow
📋 Quick Reference — 요약표
| Tense | Form | 가다 | 먹다 | 공부하다 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| present | -아요 / -어요 | 가요 | 먹어요 | 공부해요 |
| past | -았어요 / -었어요 | 갔어요 | 먹었어요 | 공부했어요 |
| future | -ㄹ / -을 거예요 | 갈 거예요 | 먹을 거예요 | 공부할 거예요 |
| not (present) | 안 + verb | 안 가요 | 안 먹어요 | 공부 안 해요 |
| not (present) | stem + 지 않아요 | 가지 않아요 | 먹지 않아요 | 공부하지 않아요 |
✏️ Try It Yourself — 연습
Work out the answer first, then click to check.
1. Put into the past: 먹어요, 앉아요, 가요.
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먹었어요, 앉았어요, 갔어요.
2. Put into the past: 와요, 마셔요, 줘요.
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왔어요, 마셨어요, 줬어요.
3. Put into the past: 공부해요 and 좋아해요.
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공부했어요, 좋아했어요.
4. Say "I was a student" and "I was not a doctor".
Show answer
학생이었어요. and 의사가 아니었어요.
5. Make the future of 마시다, 읽다 and 살다.
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마실 거예요, 읽을 거예요, 살 거예요 (an ㄹ-stem adds no ㄹ).
6. Say "I didn't drink coffee yesterday" using 안.
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어제 커피를 안 마셨어요.
7. Say "I don't study" in both ways.
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공부 안 해요. and 공부하지 않아요.
8. Make 먹어요 negative with 지 않다 in the present and the past.
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먹지 않아요 and 먹지 않았어요.
9. What is the difference between 안 가요 and 못 가요?
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안 가요 is "I don't go" (by choice or habit); 못 가요 is "I can't go" (unable or prevented).
10. Say "Yesterday I went to school, and tomorrow I will study at home."
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어제 학교에 갔어요. 내일 집에서 공부할 거예요.