던 (retrospective modifier) - Past Habitual/Recollective

This grammar point acts like an adjective. It attaches to a verb or an adjective to describe the noun that follows it. Imagine you have a noun like 커피 (coffee). If you want to say "the coffee I was drinking," you attach 던 to the verb 마시다 (to drink). It becomes 마시던 커피. It functions as a bridge between a past action and a current noun. Unlike the standard past modifier ~ㄴ/은, which sounds very final, 던 feels like a paused video. It suggests a habit that happened over a period of time or an action that was interrupted. It is like a grammar traffic light that turned yellow but never quite made it to red. You are stuck in that memory for a moment.

1. 1Getting the form right is actually quite simple. You do not need to worry about patches or vowels as much as other rules.
2. 2Start with the dictionary form of the verb or adjective (e.g., 가다, 예쁘다, 먹다).
3. 3Drop the 다 at the end to find the stem.
4. 4Simply attach 던 to that stem.
5. 5가다 (to go) becomes 가던.
6. 6먹다 (to eat) becomes 먹던.
7. 7예쁘다 (to be pretty) becomes 예쁘던.
8. 8공부하다 (to study) becomes 공부하던.
9. 9It works the same for both verbs and adjectives. It also works for the past tense of 이다 (to be). For example, 학생이던 시절 means "the days when I was a student." This pattern is very consistent. Even irregular verbs follow this easily once you have the stem.

Use 던 when you want to describe a recurring habit from the past. If you used to play soccer every weekend, you would talk about the 축구하던 공원 (the park where I used to play soccer). It tells the listener that this wasn't a one-time thing. It was a part of your routine.

Another great use is for unfinished actions. Did you start a movie but never finished the last ten minutes? That is a 보던 영화. If you were wearing a sweater but took it off halfway through the day, that is the 입던 스웨더. It implies the action was in progress or incomplete.

You can also use it with adjectives to recall a past state that has since changed. For example, 맑던 날씨 describes weather that *was* clear but maybe is cloudy now. It is perfect for reminiscing about old times. Think about your childhood home or a favorite childhood toy. These are all perfect candidates for 던. It brings those memories to life in your speech.

Do not use 던 for actions that happened exactly once and were completed perfectly. If you went to Paris once last year, you should say 간 곳 (the place I went) using the ~ㄴ/은 modifier. If you say 가던 곳, it sounds like you were a frequent traveler to Paris or you were on your way there but stopped.

Avoid using it for facts that are still true today. If a restaurant is still delicious right now, don't use 던 to describe it unless you are specifically talking about how it *used* to be. Using 던 automatically puts a distance between now and then. It often implies that the state or habit has stopped. If you use it for something that is still happening, it might confuse your friends. They might think you stopped doing it!

One big mistake is using 던 when you actually need ~ㄴ/은. Remember, ~ㄴ/은 is for a completed, one-time past event. 던 is for habits or unfinished business.

Another slip-up happens with adjectives. Some people try to use the past tense stem with 던 every time (like 있었던). While 았던/었던 is a real pattern, using simple 던 with an adjective like 춥던 implies a different nuance than 추웠던. Simple 던 is more about the recollection of the feeling at that time.

Yes, even native speakers mess this up sometimes! You might hear people using them interchangeably in casual speech, but for your B1 level, keep them distinct. Don't worry if you mix them up at first. Just remember: 던 is for the "loop" or the "incomplete," while ~ㄴ/은 is for the "done."

Let's look at 던 versus ~ㄴ/은.

• 내가 먹은 빵: The bread I ate (It is gone. I finished it. Mission accomplished).
• 내가 먹던 빵: The bread I was eating (Maybe there is a bite left. Maybe I ate it every day for breakfast).

Now, let's look at 던 versus ~았던/었던. This is the tricky one!

• 가던 학교: The school I used to go to (Habitual).
• 갔던 학교: The school I went to (Focuses more on the fact that the action is completely finished and disconnected from now).

았던/었던 is often used for things that happened a long time ago and are totally over. 던 feels a bit more like you are pulling the memory into the present conversation. Think of 던 as a soft-focus lens on a camera. ~ㄴ/은 is a sharp, clear photo of a finished event.