-었었-

Korean Alternative forms ko -였었- used after ko 하다 verbs and adjectives Etymology Formed through doubling the past tense suffix ko -었-. Pronunciation Suffix -았었- suffix -ed: A past tense marker going onto the main verb, adjective or copula of the sentence; it carries a meaning of finished action, however the state has also become different from the past. ko 한국-에 갔었-어-요. I went to Korea (but I am no longer there, I came back). ko 전화-가 왔었-습니다. A phone call came in (the phone is no longer ringing though). ko 오늘 아침-에 바람-이 많이 불었었-다. Today, in the morning, it was very windy (but it's no longer windy). ko 작년-에 우리 공원-에서 해바라기-가 잘 피었었-다. Last year, at our park, sunflowers grew well (but that's no longer the case). Usage notes For vowel harmony, contractions, and allomorphy, see ko -어#Usage_notes -아/어/여; do note, however, that the second ko -었- does not change forms. ko -었었- precedes all verbal endings except the honorific suffix. Difference with ko -었-: While ko -었- carries a perfect aspect meaning, ko -었었- carries a meaning of completion of an action and its difference from the past. Thus, while ko 죽다 죽었다 means he died and is still dead, ko 죽었었다 means he died and is no longer in that state. These two suffixes can also be easily compared with the verb ko 가다, simple past tense of which expresses that one went somewhere and is still possibly there, while the double past tense usually expresses that one went somewhere, stayed there and is no longer there or came back.