jabi-은
-은: Nouns Described by What Already Happened
Modifier ending — marks a past/completed action (or resulting state) that describes the following noun.
How to form it
| When | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Action verb — consonant stem (not ㄹ) | stem + -은 + noun | 먹다 → 먹은 음식 |
| Action verb — vowel or ㄹ stem | stem + -ㄴ + noun | 가다 → 간 곳 / 만들다 → 만든 음식 |
| Contrast — present action modifier | stem + -는 + noun | 먹는 음식 / 가는 사람 |
-은 / -ㄴ (modifier) puts what already happened in front of a noun.
우리말샘’s verb -은 includes past action and completed-state readings before a noun. Sejong’s people unit leans on descriptions like the person I met — past scene, then the noun.
어제 만난 사람 the person (I) met yesterday
친구가 만든 음식 food a friend made
내가 간 곳 a place I wentForms (action verbs)
| Stem | Modifier | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Consonant (not ㄹ) | -은 | 먹은 음식 |
| Vowel / ㄹ | -ㄴ | 간 곳, 만든 케이크 |
Noun order: [modifier clause] + noun — never English the food that ate calques with the noun first.
Not topic 은/는
| Item | Job |
|---|---|
| 은/는 vs 이/가 | Topic particle on a noun (저는) |
| -은 (this page) | Verb ending that describes the next noun (먹은) |
Same hangul in some fonts of memory; different machinery.
Not sentence past -었-
| Shape | Slot |
|---|---|
| 먹었어요 | -았-/-었- — finite past |
| 먹은 음식 | modifier before a noun |
*먹었 음식 is not a thing. Finish the sentence with -었-, or modify a noun with -은/-ㄴ.
Past modifier vs present -는
| Modifier | Reading | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -는 | action now / habitual | 먹는 사람 |
| -은/-ㄴ | already done / completed | 먹은 사람 |
The survey lesson -은 / -는 (modifier) teaches both. This page drills the already happened side.
Practice rule
English the N that I Ved → Korean Ved-modifier + N. If the action is still ongoing, switch to -는, not this -은.
Do not confuse it with
Taught alongside this
In the Sejong course this appears in 사비나 씨는 어떤 사람을 좋아해요? — Sejong Korean 2, Unit 12, on the theme of 대인관계. These come with it:
Words used above
Quick check
No sign-up, no score saved — just see if it stuck.
1. Which means 'the food (someone) ate'?
2. How is modifier -은 different from topic 은?
3. What is 어제 만난 사람?
Common questions
Is this the same page as -은/-는 modifiers?
[[g:modifier-eun-neun]] surveys present -는 and past/adjective -은/-ㄴ together. This slot zooms on the past/completed action reading — what already happened to the noun.
How is this different from -었- in 먹었어요?
[[g:past-eot]] finishes a sentence. Modifier -은 sits before a noun (먹은 음식). Do not write *먹었 음식.
What about adjectives like 좋은?
Dictionaries also list -은 on adjectives for present state (좋은 사람). Same letters; this Sejong-facing lesson leads with verb past/completed (만난 사람). Adjective modifiers are already covered on the survey page.
Where does the noun go?
After the modifier: 어제 본 영화. English relative clauses trail the noun; Korean builds the description first.