πŸ“˜Grammar 51: How to Use ~κ³  λ‚˜μ„œ – Saying After Doing Something in Korean

πŸ“˜ How to Use ~κ³  λ‚˜μ„œ – Saying After Doing Something in Korean

Want to say “After I ate, I studied,” “I called him after I got home,” or “She slept after reading” in Korean?

Then it’s time to learn ~κ³  λ‚˜μ„œ, a natural and clear way to express sequential actions in Korean, especially when one action is followed by another.

This structure is perfect for storytelling and explaining what you did step by step.

πŸ“Œ What Does ~κ³  λ‚˜μ„œ Mean?

~κ³  λ‚˜μ„œ is used to describe an action that happens after a previous action is completed.

It has the nuance of “after doing...” or “once done, then…” and emphasizes that the first action is fully finished before the next begins.

Structure:

  • Verb stem + κ³  λ‚˜μ„œ + second action

✔️ You can also drop "λ‚˜μ„œ" and simply use ~κ³  for simple sequences.


πŸ“˜ Example Sentences

  • λ°₯을 λ¨Ήκ³  λ‚˜μ„œ κ³΅λΆ€ν–ˆμ–΄μš” – After eating, I studied
    bap-eul meok-go na-seo gong-bu-haet-seo-yo
  • μΌν•˜κ³  λ‚˜μ„œ μš΄λ™ν–ˆμ–΄μš” – I exercised after working
    il-ha-go na-seo un-dong-haet-seo-yo
  • λ„μ°©ν•˜κ³  λ‚˜μ„œ μ „ν™”ν–ˆμ–΄μš” – I called after arriving
    do-chak-ha-go na-seo jeon-hwa-haet-seo-yo
  • 책을 읽고 λ‚˜μ„œ μž€μ–΄μš” – She slept after reading
    chaek-eul ilg-go na-seo jat-seo-yo

πŸ“Š Grammar Table – ~κ³  λ‚˜μ„œ Forms

Verb Form Meaning Romanization
κ³΅λΆ€ν•˜λ‹€ κ³΅λΆ€ν•˜κ³  λ‚˜μ„œ after studying gong-bu-ha-go na-seo
κ°€λ‹€ κ°€κ³  λ‚˜μ„œ after going ga-go na-seo
보닀 보고 λ‚˜μ„œ after seeing/watching bo-go na-seo
μ”»λ‹€ μ”»κ³  λ‚˜μ„œ after washing ssit-go na-seo

πŸ’‘ When to Use ~κ³  λ‚˜μ„œ

  • ✔️ When you want to clearly show that one action finished before another started
  • ✔️ Helpful in describing routines or daily life events
  • ✔️ More formal or specific than simply using ~κ³ 

Compare:

  • λ°₯을 λ¨Ήκ³  κ³΅λΆ€ν–ˆμ–΄μš” → I ate and studied
  • λ°₯을 λ¨Ήκ³  λ‚˜μ„œ κ³΅λΆ€ν–ˆμ–΄μš” → I studied after I finished eating (clear order)

❗ Common Mistakes

  • ❌ 먹은 후에 κ³΅λΆ€ν–ˆμ–΄μš” ✅ (OK but more like “after having eaten” – formal)
  • ❌ κ³΅λΆ€ν•œ 후에 λ¨Ήμ—ˆμ–΄μš” → acceptable but more written/formal
  • ~κ³  λ‚˜μ„œ is usually used in spoken Korean or informal writing

πŸ§ͺ Mini Quiz – Test Yourself!

  1. How do you say “After working, I went home”?
    a) μΌν•˜κ³  κ°”μ–΄μš”
    b) μΌν•˜κ³  λ‚˜μ„œ 집에 κ°”μ–΄μš”
    Click to Show Answer

    ✅ b) μΌν•˜κ³  λ‚˜μ„œ 집에 κ°”μ–΄μš”

  2. Translate: “I called after arriving.”
    a) λ„μ°©ν•˜κ³  λ‚˜μ„œ μ „ν™”ν–ˆμ–΄μš”
    b) λ„μ°©ν•œ λ‹€μŒ μ „ν™”ν–ˆμ–΄μš”
    Click to Show Answer

    ✅ a) λ„μ°©ν•˜κ³  λ‚˜μ„œ μ „ν™”ν–ˆμ–΄μš”

  3. Which is more natural for “After exercising, I took a shower”?
    a) μš΄λ™ν•œ 후에 μ”»μ—ˆμ–΄μš”
    b) μš΄λ™ν•˜κ³  λ‚˜μ„œ μ”»μ—ˆμ–΄μš”
    Click to Show Answer

    ✅ b) μš΄λ™ν•˜κ³  λ‚˜μ„œ μ”»μ—ˆμ–΄μš”


✅ Conclusion

Now you can use ~κ³  λ‚˜μ„œ to talk about sequential actions in Korean!

  • Use this to clearly show that one action happens after another
  • Perfect for routines, instructions, and storytelling
  • Sounds natural and polite in spoken Korean

Practice these:

  • “After studying, I took a break” → κ³΅λΆ€ν•˜κ³  λ‚˜μ„œ μ‰¬μ—ˆμ–΄μš”
  • “I washed after waking up” → μΌμ–΄λ‚˜κ³  λ‚˜μ„œ μ”»μ—ˆμ–΄μš”


πŸ“˜ Coming Up Next

Next lesson: How to Use ~κ±°λ‚˜ / ~든지 – Expressing Choices in Korean
Learn how to say “You can eat or drink,” “Whether you go or not,” and more!

Related Keywords:
learn korean, korean grammar, κ³  λ‚˜μ„œ, sequential actions, after doing in korean, korean connectors, romanized korean