-아/어 놓다/두다 in Korean: “do in advance, leave done”

-아/어 놓다 and -아/어 두다 (-a/eo nota, -a/eo duda) mean "to do something in advance" or "to do something and leave it that way." They show that you did an action and its result is kept ready for later.

How to form it

How to use it

놓다 means "to put down" and 두다 means "to put, to keep." After another verb, they say you did something on purpose and the result stays in place: 예약해 놨어요 (I've booked it, it's all set).

Often it means preparing ahead: buying snacks before guests come, charging your phone before a trip. It can also mean leaving something in a state: 문을 열어 놓으세요 (please leave the door open).

The two are mostly interchangeable. 두다 can feel a bit more like keeping something for a long time (기억해 두세요, keep it in mind). In speech, 놓아 shortens to 놔, so 놓았어요 is usually 놨어요.

Examples

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Don’t mix it up with

-아/어 있다: Describes a state with verbs that have no object: 문이 열려 있어요 (the door is open). -아/어 놓다 says someone did it on purpose: 문을 열어 놨어요 (I left the door open).

-아/어 버리다: 버리다 means the action is finished and gone. 놓다/두다 means the result is kept and ready to use.

Common mistakes

Writing 났어요 instead of 놨어요. 났어요 comes from 나다 (to come out, happen); the short form of 놓았어요 is 놨어요.

Using it with adjectives or verbs without an object. 놓다/두다 go with action verbs that act on something, like 사다, 열다, 준비하다.