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action verbs modifying nouns

# Posted: 6 May 2007 23:50 KST - Edited by: _joseph_
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There are 4 endings which a true action verb can take when it\‘s used to modify a noun:

A complete list of the popular action verbs is found (most basic and most common), intermediate level vocabulary, and here for the advanced vocabulary action verbs

1) present-tense -는 is added to the verb stem, after removing the dictionary verb ending 다.
2) future tense 을
3) past tense-은
4. past tense 던
5. past tense 았다는/었다는

는

버스안 매너없는 사람 a person in the bus with no manners.

This is the present-tense modifying form for verbs. It cannot be used for adjectives. For example,
1. 먹는 X(the eating X)
2. 있는 Y (the Y which is doing .... )
3. 가는 Z (the Z which is going).
4. 나이트에서 노는 여자만 만날 수 있어요 from 놀다 to play ==> 노는 여자 playgirls
놀다 is irregular, please see the irregular verb section
In the above 3 examples, 가다 (to go) and 있다 (to be) and 먹다 (to eat) are all action verbs. They are not adjectives, so to make them we take off the 다 verb ending and add 는.

The rules for forming these adjectival-forms are subject to all of the rules for irregular verbs as shown here. Look at the third column for every set of irregular verbs to see what happens when you make the adjectival 는 form.

-을

This ending is used to say that the adjective will become true in the future. For example, 해야 할 것 something which will have to be done.

-은

주유소에서 준 휴지 what they gave me at the gas station

this is the past tense modifying verb form

the 은/는 ending is formed as described above in the 는 section.

It can be used for action verbs in the past tense.

For example, 먹은 음식 is made from the verb 먹다. BEcause 음식 is food, when we say 먹은 음식 we mean eaten food.

-던

There is also the 던 past tense verb form.
어제 하던 말이 뭐였지?
What were you saying/ What was I saying yesterday?
어제 했던 말이 뭐였지?
What did you say yesterday?

어제 마시던 우유가 어디 있지?
Where is the milk I was drinking yesterday?
어제 마셨던 우유가 어디 있지?
Where is the milk I drank yesterday?

눈이 내리던 그 날
The day it was snowing

눈이 내렸던 그 날
The day it snowed

아까 내가 보던 책이 재미있어요.
The book I was reading a while ago is interesting.
아까 내가 봤던 책이 재미있어요.
The book I read a while ago is interesring.

From the examples above, I would conclude that there isn\‘t really a big difference but just the viewpoint of speakers are a little different.
Same thing happened, but the description can be different depending on the people who recall it. The first ones are usually focusing on the action that was happening, and the second ones are usually focusing on the fact that it happened.

어릴 때 내가 먹던 우유 and 어릴 때 내가 먹었던 우유 can mean exactly the same thing.

여기가 옛날에 내가 살던 곳이다.
This place is where I was living long time ago.
여기가 옛날에 내가 살았던 곳이다.
This place is where I lived long time ago.

But both sentences can be translated into
This place is where I used to live.

In summary, the distinction between 했던 and 하던, is that 하던 is similar to be the past continuous, which in English is was doing and was watching and 했던 the simple past, similar to 았/었 (1) above.

숨까지 멈춘 것 같던 케이트

past-tense action verb modifiction: 았다는 었다는

알았다는 듯이

as if he had understood

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