-(으)ㄴ is an adnominal ending that modifies nouns. For verbs, it indicates completed or past actions. For adjectives, it indicates present states.
Formation Rules
Stem Ending in Vowel or ㄹ: -ㄴ
Vowel stems:
- 가다 → 간 (went, has gone)
- 하다 → 한 (did, has done)
- 오다 → 온 (came, has come)
- 되다 → 된 (became, has become)
ㄹ stems (drop ㄹ):
- 만들다 → 만든 (made, has made)
- 살다 → 산 (lived, has lived)
- 팔다 → 판 (sold, has sold)
Stem Ending in Consonant: -은
Consonant stems:
- 먹다 → 먹은 (ate, has eaten)
- 읽다 → 읽은 (read, has read)
- 듣다 → 들은 (heard, has heard)
- 앉다 → 앉은 (sat, has sat)
- 입다 → 입은 (wore, has worn)
With Verbs: Completed Actions
Past Actions
Actions that were completed:
- 어제 산 책 (the book [I] bought yesterday)
- 지난주에 만난 친구 (the friend [I] met last week)
- 작년에 간 여행 (the trip [I] took last year)
- 방금 먹은 음식 (the food [I] just ate)
Recent Completion
Just finished actions:
- 방금 온 사람 (the person who just came)
- 금방 끝난 일 (work that just finished)
- 조금 전에 들은 소식 (news [I] heard a moment ago)
With Adjectives: Present States
Current States
Describing current qualities:
- 좋은 날씨 (good weather)
- 큰 집 (a big house)
- 작은 가방 (a small bag)
- 예쁜 꽃 (a pretty flower)
- 맛있는 음식 (delicious food)
Important: For adjectives, -(으)ㄴ describes the PRESENT state, not past!
Common Adjective Modifiers
Everyday descriptions:
- 좋은 (good)
- 나쁜 (bad)
- 큰 (big)
- 작은 (small)
- 긴 (long)
- 짧은 (short)
- 많은 (many)
- 적은 (few)
- 높은 (high, tall)
- 낮은 (low)
- 넓은 (wide)
- 좁은 (narrow)
Common Patterns with Verbs
내가 -(으)ㄴ (That I...)
Personal experience:
- 내가 읽은 책 (the book I read)
- 내가 만난 사람 (the person I met)
- 내가 간 곳 (the place I went)
- 내가 먹은 음식 (the food I ate)
- 내가 산 물건 (the thing I bought)
그가/그녀가 -(으)ㄴ (That he/she...)
Others' actions:
- 그가 만든 음식 (the food he made)
- 그녀가 쓴 편지 (the letter she wrote)
- 그가 한 말 (the thing he said)
- 그녀가 입은 옷 (the clothes she wore)
Simple Past
No explicit subject:
- 온 사람 (the person who came)
- 간 사람 (the person who went)
- 끝난 일 (finished work)
- 닫힌 문 (closed door)
Common Patterns with Adjectives
Quality Descriptions
Describing nouns:
- 좋은 사람 (a good person)
- 나쁜 날씨 (bad weather)
- 큰 문제 (a big problem)
- 작은 실수 (a small mistake)
- 중요한 일 (an important matter)
With 것 (Thing)
Abstract concepts:
- 중요한 것 (an important thing)
- 좋은 것 (a good thing)
- 나쁜 것 (a bad thing)
- 필요한 것 (a necessary thing)
Irregular Forms
ㅂ Irregular
ㅂ → 우:
- 춥다 → 추운 (cold)
- 덥다 → 더운 (hot)
- 쉽다 → 쉬운 (easy)
- 어렵다 → 어려운 (difficult)
ㄷ Irregular
ㄷ → ㄹ:
- 듣다 → 들은 (heard)
- 걷다 → 걸은 (walked)
ㅅ Irregular
ㅅ drops:
- 짓다 → 지은 (built)
- 낫다 → 나은 (better)
ㄹ Irregular
ㄹ drops before -은 (but not -ㄴ):
- 만들다 → 만든 (made)
- 살다 → 산 (lived)
Compound Verbs
맛있다, 재미있다, etc.:
- 맛있다 → 맛있는 (delicious - note: treated as adjective)
- 재미있다 → 재미있는 (interesting)
Note: These use -는 because they're treated as descriptive verbs
Verb vs. Adjective Distinction
Verbs: Past Action
-(으)ㄴ = completed:
- 먹은 사과 (the apple [I] ate - past)
- 읽은 책 (the book [I] read - past)
- 만난 친구 (the friend [I] met - past)
Adjectives: Present State
-(으)ㄴ = current state:
- 빨간 사과 (a red apple - present)
- 좋은 책 (a good book - present)
- 새로운 친구 (a new friend - present)
This is KEY: Same ending, different meaning!
Common Usage
Describing Past Experiences
What you did:
- 어제 본 영화가 재미있었어요 (The movie I saw yesterday was interesting)
- 지난주에 산 옷을 입었어요 (I wore the clothes I bought last week)
- 작년에 간 여행이 기억나요 (I remember the trip I took last year)
Describing Current States
Current qualities:
- 좋은 날씨예요 (It's good weather)
- 큰 집에 살아요 (I live in a big house)
- 예쁜 꽃을 봤어요 (I saw pretty flowers)
Asking Questions
About past or present:
- 어제 읽은 책이 뭐예요? (What's the book you read yesterday?)
- 좋아하는 음식이 뭐예요? (What's your favorite food? - lit. food you like)
- 아는 사람이에요? (Is it someone you know?)
Complex Modifications
Multiple Modifiers
Stacking descriptions:
- 어제 산 큰 가방 (the big bag I bought yesterday)
- 친구가 준 예쁜 꽃 (the pretty flower my friend gave)
- 옛날에 살던 작은 집 (the small house where I used to live)
With Other Elements
Adding location, time, etc.:
- 서울에서 산 물건 (things I bought in Seoul)
- 어제 만난 새로운 친구 (the new friend I met yesterday)
- 도서관에서 빌린 책 (the book I borrowed from the library)
With Specific Nouns
것 (Thing)
Abstract references:
- 산 것 (the thing I bought)
- 말한 것 (the thing [I/you] said)
- 중요한 것 (an important thing)
- 필요한 것 (a necessary thing)
사람 (Person)
Describing people:
- 온 사람 (the person who came)
- 간 사람 (the person who went)
- 좋은 사람 (a good person)
- 아는 사람 (a person I know)
곳 (Place)
Locations:
- 간 곳 (the place I went)
- 사는 곳 (the place where [I] live - note: 사는)
- 좋은 곳 (a good place)
Example Sentences
With Verbs (Past)
- 어제 먹은 음식이 맛있었어요 (The food I ate yesterday was delicious)
- 친구가 준 선물이 마음에 들어요 (I like the gift my friend gave)
- 지난주에 본 영화 제목이 뭐예요? (What's the title of the movie you saw last week?)
- 방금 들은 노래가 좋아요 (I like the song I just heard)
With Adjectives (Present)
- 예쁜 옷을 샀어요 (I bought pretty clothes)
- 큰 집에서 파티를 했어요 (We had a party at a big house)
- 좋은 소식이 있어요 (I have good news)
- 맛있는 음식을 먹었어요 (I ate delicious food)
Example Dialogues
Dialogue 1: About Books
A: 무슨 책 읽어요?
(What book are you reading?)
B: 친구가 추천한 책이요.
(The book my friend recommended.)
A: 재미있어요?
(Is it interesting?)
B: 네, 아주 재미있는 책이에요.
(Yes, it's a very interesting book.)
Dialogue 2: Shopping
A: 그 가방 어디서 샀어요?
(Where did you buy that bag?)
B: 어제 간 백화점에서 샀어요.
(I bought it at the department store I went to yesterday.)
A: 예쁜 가방이네요!
(It's a pretty bag!)
Dialogue 3: Food
A: 이 음식 먹어 봤어요?
(Have you tried this food?)
B: 네, 어제 먹은 음식이에요. 정말 맛있어요.
(Yes, it's the food I ate yesterday. It's really delicious.)
Dialogue 4: People
A: 저기 있는 사람이 누구예요?
(Who is that person over there?)
B: 어제 만난 친구예요.
(It's a friend I met yesterday.)
Common Mistakes
❌ Incorrect: 좋는 날씨
Using -는 with adjectives
✅ Correct: 좋은 날씨
Adjectives use -(으)ㄴ
❌ Incorrect: 읽는은 책 (for past)
Wrong form for past action
✅ Correct: 읽은 책
Past action uses -(으)ㄴ
❌ Incorrect: 만들은 음식
Not dropping ㄹ
✅ Correct: 만든 음식
ㄹ stems drop ㄹ before -ㄴ
Summary Table
| Word Type | Usage | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verbs | Past/Completed | -(으)ㄴ | 읽은 책 (book I read) |
| Adjectives | Present state | -(으)ㄴ | 좋은 책 (good book) |
| ㄹ stem verbs | Past | -ㄴ (drop ㄹ) | 만든 음식 (food I made) |
| ㅂ irregular | Present | -운 | 추운 날 (cold day) |
Key Takeaways
- ✅ Two meanings: Past for verbs, present for adjectives
- ✅ Formation: -ㄴ (vowel/ㄹ stems), -은 (consonant stems)
- ✅ Very common: One of the most used modifiers
- ✅ Watch irregulars: ㄹ drops, ㅂ changes to 우, etc.
- ✅ Essential pattern: Must master for descriptive Korean
- ✅ Before nouns: Always comes directly before the noun
-(으)ㄴ is fundamental for modifying nouns in Korean. Understanding its dual nature - past for verbs, present for adjectives - is crucial for natural Korean expression. Master this form to create rich, descriptive sentences!