-던(past)

V/Adj/이다,아니다 + 던 This makes a verb and an adjective into a noun modifier. It is used when describing things you have seen, heard, or felt in the past while recalling memories.

어둡던 방이 밝아졌어요.

The room that was dark became bright.

내가 먹던 사과 어디에 있어요?

Where is the apple I was eating?

여기는 내가 학생 때 자주 가던 식당이야.

This is the restaurant I used to go to often when I was a student.

아까 거울 보던 여자가 정말 예뻤어요.

The woman who was looking in the mirror earlier was really pretty.

• Like other noun modifiers, you can also nominalize clauses using ‘-던 것’

내가 어릴 때 읽던 것을 또 읽고 있어요.

I’m reading what I used to read when I was a child.

네가 어제 말하던 것 이제 이해했어.

I now understand what you were saying yesterday. 그때 보던 것과 달라요.

It’s different from what we used to see back then.

• Past noun modifiers; 던 vs -었던 vs 은

-던	-었던/았던	-은
Recalling about the action was in progress at that moment. (The action was stopped before it was completed.) 내가 먹던 사과 어디에 있어요? Where is the apple I was eating? 케이크 먹던 사람 너무 귀여웠어. The person who was eating cake was so cute.	Recalling about the action that I saw it’s completely finished. 제가 먹었던 사과가 정말 맛있었어요. The apple I had eaten was really delicious. 케이크 먹었던 사람 너무 귀여웠어. The person who had eaten cake was so cute.	A simple factual statement about a completed action without the feeling of describing the situation. 제가 먹은 사과가 정말 맛있었어요. The apple I ate was really delicious. 내 케이크 먹은 사람 누구야? Who ate my cake?
Completed regularly, habits.(recalling) 내가 학생 때 가던 식당이야. This is the restaurant I used to go to when I was a student.	Completed in once, twice.(recalling) 내가 학생 때 갔던 식당이야. This is the restaurant I had gone to when I was a student	Simply past tense. 내가 학생 때 간 식당이야. This is the restaurant I went to when I was a student.

1. When -던 and -았/었던 are used with adjectives, the difference in meaning is subtle.

춥던 날 = 추웠던 날

the day that was cold