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Unit 2: I Recall That (-던데요)

When you are recalling or reporting a fact that you personally experienced or witnessed in the past, and you want to express a bit of surprise or contradiction, you use -던데요 in Easy Korean.

Structure

Verb / Adjective Stem + -던데요

  • 맛있다 -> 맛있던데요 (I found it to be delicious / Actually it was delicious)
  • 많다 -> 많던데요 (I recall there being a lot)
  • 비가 오다 -> 비가 오던데요 (I recall it was raining [when I was there])

Usage

It usually carries a nuance of responding to someone. A: 그 식당 맛없지 않아요? (Isn't that restaurant bad?) B: 아니요, 맛있던데요. (No, I [went there and] found it to be delicious.)

Examples

  • 생각보다 사람이 많던데요. (There were more people than I thought [when I checked].)
  • 어제 지민 씨가 도서관에 있던데요. (I recall Jimin being at the library yesterday [I saw her].)
  • 그 영화 정말 재미있던데요! (I found that movie really fun!)