Korean phrase
~였어요. ~ yeo sseo yo
Meaning
was ___
When to use it
It politely describes a past state or identity. It often presents an earlier situation in contrast with the present and has a calm, matter-of-fact tone.
Example dialogue
처음엔 동료였어요. cheo eu men tong nyo yeo sseo yo
At first, we were colleagues.
그래요, 그래서 알게 된 거군요. keu rae yo keu rae seo al ge toen keo gu nyo
I see, so that's how you got to know each other.