았어요 vs 었어요
past polite endings
Try it freeContrast quizPick the right form in a mini quiz.Open →Explanation
Past polite typically inserts 았 or 었 before 어요: 갔어요, 먹었어요.
Stems whose last vowel is ㅏ or ㅗ often take 았 (with contractions: 가 + 았어요 → 갔어요). Other stems often take 었.
Irregulars (ㄷ, ㅂ, 르, 으-drop) change the stem before you pick 았/었: drill high-frequency verbs separately.
Mistake: memorizing only 했어요 and pasting it onto every verb.
Level: beginner. Read both sides of the contrast, say the examples out loud, then write one correct and one incorrect sentence and fix it.
Cross-link: open the related grammar or tools page the same day so the fix sticks in your study graph.
Examples
어제 영화를 봤어요.
I watched a movie yesterday.
아침을 먹었어요.
I ate breakfast.
학교에 갔어요.
I went to school.
Common mistakes
- Translating the English pair word-for-word without checking which Korean form carries the real distinction.
- Treating the two forms as free synonyms after memorizing only one example.
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