Korean phrase
이전에는 어땠어요? i jeo ne neun eo ttae sseo yo
Meaning
What was it like before?
When to use it
This question asks what a situation was like before. It often compares the past with the present and sounds polite in everyday conversation.
Example dialogue
새 직장은 어때요? 이전에는 어땠어요? sae chik jjang eun eo ttae yo i jeo ne neun eo ttae sseo yo
How is your new job? What was it like before?
이전에는 일이 훨씬 힘들었어요. i jeo ne neun i ri hwol ssin him deu reo sseo yo
Work was much harder before.