“I Watched a Movie!” Korean Past Tense

Hello! This is [Daily Korean], here to upgrade your Korean skills! 👋

Welcome back! Today, we are going to learn how to talk about past events using the simple past tense.

Specifically, we will talk about the last movie you saw.
Nowadays in Korea, going to the cinema is a huge part of the culture. With Korean movies (K-Movies) gaining global popularity—from Parasite to recent hits on streaming platforms—asking “Did you see that movie?” is the perfect icebreaker to start a conversation with a Korean friend!

Let’s learn how to share your experience in Korean! 🎬

Today’s Key Expressions 🔑

Here are 3 essential phrases to talk about your movie experience.

1. 영화 봤어요. (I watched a movie.)

• Pronunciation: [Yeonghwa bwasseoyo]
• English Meaning: I watched a movie.
• Detail:
  • 영화 (Yeonghwa) means “movie.”
  • 봤어요 (Bwasseoyo) comes from the verb ‘보다’ (to see/watch). When we change it to the past tense (I watched), ‘보’ combines with ‘았어요’ to become 봤어요. It is a polite way to say you saw something.
• 💡 Pronunciation Tip:
  • The word 봤어요 can be tricky! It is written as bwat-eo-yo, but because of the Liaison rule (Yeoneum), the bottom consonant ㅆ (ss/t sound) moves over to the empty circle ㅇ in the next syllable.
  • So, instead of [bwat-eo-yo], it sounds like [bwasseoyo]. Say it smoothly!

2. 어땠어요? (How was it?)

• Pronunciation: [Eottaesseoyo?]
• English Meaning: How was it?
• Detail:
  • This is the magic question! Use this when asking for an opinion about something in the past.
  • It comes from the adjective ‘어떻다’ (how is it).
• 💡 Pronunciation Tip:
  • Similar to the tip above, the ㅆ in 땠 moves to the next syllable.
  • Written: Eot-taet-eo-yo → Spoken: [Eottaesseoyo]
  • Make sure to raise your tone at the end to show it is a question! ↗️

3. 재미있었어요. (It was fun / It was interesting.)

• Pronunciation: [Jaemi-isseosseoyo]
• English Meaning: It was fun / It was interesting.
• Detail:
  • 재미 (Jaemi) means “fun.”
  • 있었어요 (Isseosseoyo) is the past tense of “to exist/have.”
  • Together, it literally means “Fun existed,” which is how Koreans say something was fun.
• 💡 Pronunciation Tip:
  • This is a long word, so let’s break it down. The linking sound happens twice here!
  • 있 (it) + 었 (eot) → [isseot]
  • 었 (eot) + 어 (eo) → [eosseo]
  • Full flow: [Jaemi – isseosseoyo]. Try to connect the sounds like a wave, rather than chopping them up.

Real-Life Dialogue 🗣️

Let’s see how A and B talk about a movie. Imagine they are discussing a popular new thriller movie!

A: 주말에 뭐 했어요?
(Jumare mwo haesseoyo?)
What did you do on the weekend?

B: 친구랑 영화 봤어요.
(Chingurang yeonghwa bwasseoyo.)
I watched a movie with a friend.

A: 오, 어땠어요?
(Oh, eottaesseoyo?)
Oh, how was it?

B: 정말 재미있었어요!
(Jeongmal jaemi-isseosseoyo!)
It was really interesting!

Culture Tip & Trend Analysis 🇰🇷

Have you heard of “Cheonman Movies”?

In Korea, when we talk about movies, you might hear the term “Cheonman Yeonghwa” (10 Million Movie). Since the population of South Korea is about 50 million, if a movie hits 10 million viewers, it means 1 in 5 Koreans has seen it!

When a movie becomes a huge hit (like The Roundup or Exhuma), it becomes a national trend. Everyone talks about it at lunch, in cafes, and online.
Using the phrase “재미있었어요” (It was fun) is the best way to join these conversations. If you want to sound even more like a native speaker, you can add “완전” (Wanjeon) before it, which means “totally” or “completely.”

• “완전 재미있었어요!” (It was totally fun!)

Wrap-up & Practice 📝

Great job today! You learned how to use the Simple Past Tense to talk about movies.

1. 봤어요 (I watched)
2. 어땠어요? (How was it?)
3. 재미있었어요 (It was fun)

Let’s Practice!
Fill in the blank to complete the sentence.

Q: The movie was fun.
A: 영화가 ____________.

1. 재미있어요
2. 재미있었어요

(Hint: We are talking about the past!)

Try using these expressions the next time you watch a K-Drama or a movie!
Please leave a comment below telling us about the last movie you watched! 👇

See you in the next lesson! 안녕! (Bye!)