-(으)ㄴ 것
Past Tense Noun Modifier
-ㄴ 것 is used to turn a past-tense action verb into a clause that can describe a noun. It's equivalent to 'the thing that was done' or 'the fact that one did'.
How It Works
The pattern -ㄴ 것 is a fundamental way to talk about past actions as if they are nouns. It allows you to use a whole clause as the subject, object, or complement of a sentence.
Conjugation Rules:
1. Verb stem ends in a vowel: Add -ㄴ 것
- 가다 (to go) → 간 것 (the fact that one went)
- 보다 (to see) → 본 것 (the thing one saw)
2. Verb stem ends in a consonant: Add -은 것
- 먹다 (to eat) → 먹은 것 (the thing one ate)
- 읽다 (to read) → 읽은 것 (the thing one read)
3. Verb stem ends in ㄹ: Drop ㄹ and add -ㄴ 것
- 만들다 (to make) → 만든 것 (the thing one made)
- 살다 (to live) → 산 것 (the fact that one lived)
The noun '것' can refer to a physical 'thing' or an abstract 'fact' or 'act'. The context determines the meaning. To talk about a place, use 곳 (place) instead of 것: 간 곳 (the place one went).
Physical Thing:
이것은 제가 만든 것이에요. (This is the thing I made.)
Abstract Fact:
제가 어제 학교에 간 것을 선생님이 아세요. (The teacher knows the fact that I went to school yesterday.)
This pattern is the past-tense counterpart to -는 것 (present tense) and -ㄹ 것 (future tense).
Examples (5)
- 어제 제가 만든 것은 케이크예요.
The thing I made yesterday is a cake.
Word by Word: Yesterday I made thing-topic cake-is.
- 친구가 먹은 것은 비빔밥이었어요.
The thing my friend ate was bibimbap.
Word by Word: Friend ate thing-topic bibimbap-was.
- 네가 말한 것을 이해 못 했어.
I didn't understand what you said.
Word by Word: You said thing-object understanding not did.
- 우리가 함께 여행 간 것을 잊지 마세요.
Please don't forget that we traveled together.
Here, '간 것' refers to the abstract 'fact' or 'memory' of having traveled.
- 이 책은 제가 이미 읽은 것이에요.
This book is one that I have already read.
Word by Word: This book-topic I already read thing-is.
Common Mistakes
Using the present tense modifier -는 것 for a completed past action.
Not Quite어제 제가 만드는 것은 케이크예요.Better어제 제가 만든 것은 케이크예요.Because the action of making the cake happened '어제' (yesterday), the past tense modifier -ㄴ/은 must be used. '-는 것' is for present tense actions or general facts.
Incorrectly conjugating verbs that end in ㄹ.
Not Quite어제 팔은 것이 별로였어요.Better어제 판 것이 별로였어요.For verb stems ending in ㄹ, like 팔다 (to sell), you drop the ㄹ before adding -ㄴ. The same rule applies to -ㄴ 것. So '판 것' (the thing one sold) is correct, not '팔은 것'.
Using -ㄴ 것 with descriptive verbs (adjectives) for past states.
Different Meaning어제 예쁜 것은 그 드레스였어요.Better어제 예뻤던 것은 그 드레스였어요.-ㄴ 것 is only for action verbs in the past. To describe a noun with a quality it had in the past, the pattern -았/었던 is used. Using the present tense modifier '예쁜' is incorrect because the event is in the past ('어제').
Learn This First
To nominalize past actions, you need modifier forms and nominalizer knowledge.
Related Patterns
- -(으)ㄹ 것Future Tense Noun Modifier
This is the future tense version of -ㄴ 것. It describes an action that will happen or is expected to happen. (e.g., 먹을 것 'the thing one will eat'). Getting comfortable with all three (-는, -ㄴ, -ㄹ) is essential.
- -ㄴ/은Adjective Noun Modifier
This is the base grammar pattern for modifying a noun with a past-tense verb. -ㄴ 것 is simply this pattern attached to the specific noun '것'. Understanding the general rule helps you use it with any noun, like '읽은 책' (the book I read).
- -았/었던Had Been, Used to
This also refers to the past but adds a nuance of recollection or something that is no longer the case. It's often translated as 'used to be'. While '내가 살았던 집' (the house I used to live in) is correct, '내가 산 집' (the house I bought/lived in) is more neutral. -았/었던 is primarily for recalling a past state or completed action from a distance.