Past or past perfect tense in Korean?
Hello,

I would like to ask you to help me with past tense and past perfect tense in Korean. What is the difference?

1. Do I use past perfect tense when I want to talk about an experience which was in past? And now it has nothing to do with present? Then is it something like past perfect in english?

2. Do I use it as "double past"? Like... Someone is asking me: "주말에 무엇을 했어요?" and then because he or she asked me in past tense then I have to answer "영극를 봤었어요."?

Thank you for your help and sorry for my English... :-)

Question

Past or past perfect tense in Korean?
Hello,

I would like to ask you to help me with past tense and past perfect tense in Korean. What is the difference?

1. Do I use past perfect tense when I want to talk about an experience which was in past? And now it has nothing to do with present? Then is it something like past perfect in english?

2. Do I use it as "double past"? Like... Someone is asking me: "주말에 무엇을 했어요?" and then because he or she asked me in past tense then I have to answer "영극를 봤었어요."?

Thank you for your help and sorry for my English... :-)

Answer

maybe you can add ~었 
but it's too difficult for speech. 
but you can send past perfect tense by used ~었.  
if you don't use ~었, fine. someone ask me the sentence i will answer that 영극 봤어요. 
because asker already ask i did something at past. like 'what did you do in weekend?' 
although my answer meaning have non past tense, he will understand me.

Answer

source: http://www.westudykorean.com/pasttense.php

-았었/었었
Double past tense indicates the past action or situation that was completed long time ago.

Verb	 	                Double past tense
사다. [to buy]	        았+었+어요.	샀었어요. bought (long before)
받다. [to receive]	았+었+어요.	받았었어요. received (long before)
만나다. [to meet]	았+었+어요.	만났었어요. met (long before)
보다. [to see]	        았+었+어요.	봤었어요. saw (long before)
가다. [to go]	        았+었+어요.	갔었어요. went (long before and no longer there)
오다. [to come]	았+었+어요.	왔었어요. came (long before and no longer here)
크다. [big]	        었+었+어요.	컸었어요. was big
짧다. [short]	        았+었+어요.	짧았었어요. was short

Examples)
1. 학교에 왔어요. (I) came school, / (I) am at school. 
학교에 왔었어요. (I) was at school. (at that time and am no longer at school)
 
2. 친구를 만났어요. (I) met a friend, / (I) am meeting a friend. 
친구를 만났었어요. (I) met a friend. (long before)
 
3. 모자를 썼어요. (I) wore a hat, / (I) am wearing a hat. 
모자를 썼었어요. (I) wore a hat. (long before) / (I) used to wear a hat.
 
4. 시집을 읽었어요. (I) read a poetry, / (I) am reading a poetry. 
시집을 읽었었어요. (I) read a poetry. (long before) / (I) used to read a poetry.
 
5. (자동차) 운전을 했었어요. (I) drove a car. / (I) am driving a car. 
(자동차) 운전을 했었었어요. (I) drove a car. (long before) / (I) used to drive a car.
 
6. 티셔츠가 작았어요. The T-shirt was small. 
티셔츠가 작았었어요. The T-shirt was small. (and is no longer small) / The t-shirt used to be small.
 
7. 결혼했어요. I got married. (and I'm still married) 
결혼했었어요. I got married. (I was once married, and I'm single now)

Answer

hi. I want to add something.
generally, used ~았 (ex: 봤어요-> 보다 + 았 + 어요). ~았 meaning is past tense.
example) If you watched movie and still watch the movie at present. 
but used ~았었 (ex: 보다 + 았었 + 어요) when the below example situation 
example) If you watched movie and no more watch the movie at present.

grammatically, 영극(을) 봤었어요 Right. I'am sorry to confuse that fact. ; /
but you can use anything ~았, ~었았 in common life. 
Because I already answer that.

Answer

try reading this article as well ~ http://www.koreanlanguagenerd.com/grammarindex/tense/past-perfect-tense