This is the 18222nd most frequent Korean word.
숨었다
"숨었다" means "hid" in English.
The word '숨었다' here illustrates a past tense action of hiding performed by the cat in a specific location.
고양이는 침대 밑에 숨어 있었다.
The cat was hiding under the bed.
In this sentence, '숨다' signifies an action performed by the child as a gesture of playfulness, currently happening.
그 아이는 장난으로 나에게서 숨어서 뒤에 있다.
The child is hiding behind me playfully.
This use of '숨어야 했다' reflects the necessity of hiding due to challenging circumstances, using a directive form of the verb.