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GRAMMAR
-었다 vs. 고 있다 for verbs of wearing/contact -고 있다 focuses more on how things are now rather than on what was done, but both forms express more or less the same thing – a present state resulting from a completed action. 겨울옷을 입었어요. 겨울옷을 입고 있어요.
She’s wearing winter clothes.
등산화를 신었어요. 등산화를 신고 있어요.
She’s wearing hiking boots.
큰 가방을 들었다. 큰 가방을 들고 있다.
He’s holding a big satchel.
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• Completed action or state in the future 혼자 가면 갔지 같이는 안 갈래.
I would go if I can go by myself, but I don’t want to go with him.
친구들이 많이 왔으면 좋겠다.
It would be nice if many friends came.
너 이제 아빠한테 혼났다.
Now you’re going to get scolded by Dad.
나는 이제 죽었구나.
Oh no, I’ll be dead meat.
커피를 다섯잔이나 마셨으니 오늘 잠은 다 잤다.
I won’t be able to sleep tonight now that I’ve drunk five cups of coffee.
16.1.5 -었었 With descriptive verbs, there is generally only a subtle difference between -었 and -었었, with both denoting ‘past state,’ but the latter creates a more distant feeling. 옛날엔 날씬했(었)어요.
I used to be slender.
올겨울도 추웠지만 작년 겨울은 더 추웠(었)어.
It was cold this winter, but last winter was even colder.
어렸을 때도 똑똑했(었)는데 지금도 아주 똑똑해.
She was smart when she was little, and she still is very smart.
With action verbs, the difference can be sharper. There, -었었 expresses: • A more remote past than what is indicated by a single -었, thereby implying an experience prior to a past reference time. 전에 잠깐 만났었어요.
I had met him briefly before.
전화했을 때 이미 떠났었어.
I had already left when you called.