What is “-던”?

“-던” is an adnominal ending used in Korean to recall past situations or describe interrupted actions. It attaches to the stem of verbs and adjectives and expresses actions or states that were ongoing in the past, habitual, or incomplete.

Usage

1) Interrupted or Incomplete Actions

“-던” can also describe actions that were ongoing but were interrupted or stopped.

내가 듣던 노래가 갑자기 멈췄다. (The song I was listening to suddenly stopped.)
일하던 회사가 갑자기 문을 닫았다. (The company I was working at suddenly shut down.)
날아가던 새가 갑자기 방향을 바꿨다. (The bird that was flying suddenly changed direction.)
만들던 케이크를 다 완성하지 못했다. (I couldn’t finish making the cake I was working on.)

2) Recalling Past Situations

“-던” is used to describe specific events or moments in the past that are being remembered.

처음으로 혼자 여행을 떠나던 날의 설렘이 아직도 기억난다. (I still remember the excitement of the day I went on my first solo trip.)
밤늦게까지 도서관에서 공부하던 때가 생각난다. (I think back to the times when I studied late into the night at the library.)
아이들과 놀이터에서 놀던 날들이 그립다. (I miss the days when I used to play with the kids at the playground.)

3) Habitual or Repeated Actions

“-던” is also used to describe habitual or repeated actions that occurred in the past.

주말마다 뛰던 운동장이 그립다. (I miss the field I used to run on every weekend.)
늘 앉던 자리에 다시 앉았다. (I sat in the seat I used to always sit in.)
학교 끝나고 가던 카페가 없어졌다. (The café I used to go to after school is gone.)

A. Commonly Used Nouns with “-던”

“-던” is often used to modify nouns that refer to time, events, or objects to describe something related to past experiences.

곳 (place)
사람 (person)
일 (work/thing)

Example Sentences:

테니스를 연습하던 날이 오늘처럼 선명하다. (The day I practiced tennis feels as vivid as today.)
어릴 때 뛰어놀던 곳이 없어졌다. (The place where I used to play as a child is gone.)

B. Combining “-던” with Other Endings for Added Nuance

“-던” can combine with grammatical markers like “-(으)시-” (honorific) and “-었-” (past tense) to add depth or respect to the recalled experience.

할머니가 자주 해 주셨던 김치찌개가 생각난다. (I remember the kimchi stew my grandmother often made for me.)
형이 학교에서 자주 입으셨던 코트를 나도 입어 봤다. (I tried on the coat my older brother often wore to school.)

Practice Quiz

Fill in the blanks with the correct adnominal ending.

테니스를 _____(연습하다) 날이 오늘처럼 선명하다.
(The day I practiced tennis feels as vivid as today.)
늘 ____(앉다) 자리에 다시 앉았다.
(I sat in the seat I used to always sit in.)
할머니가 자주 _____(해주다) 김치찌개가 생각난다.
(I remember the kimchi stew my grandmother often made for me.)
____(일하다) 회사가 갑자기 문을 닫았다.
(The company I was working at suddenly shut down.)