Korean Lessons ᚛ Level 4 - Intermediate Korean #1 (Lessons 91 to 120) ᚛ Lesson 104 - As soon as in Korean #1 [-자마자]
As soon as in Korean #1 [-자마자]
In Korean, it is possible to express the fact that an action happens as soon as another one occurs with the verb ending -자마자, used in the following manner:
[Action 1: … Present stem]자마자 [Action 2]
- 가다 (= to go) → 가자마자 (= as soon as I go)
- 끝내다 (= to finish) → 끝내자마자 (= as soon as I finish)
- 보다 (= to see) → 보자마자 (= as soon as I see)
- 만나다 (= to meet) → 만나자마자 (= as soon as we meet)
Note: Only the present stem can be used with -자마자. The tense of the sentence is marked by the verb of action 2.
만나자마자 안아 줘.
→ Give me a hug as soon as we see each other.
저는 그 옷을 보자마자 좋아했어요.
→ I liked those clothes as soon as I saw them.
집에 돌아오자마자 비가 내렸어.
→ It started raining as soon as I got back home.
친구들을 소개해 주자마자 친해졌어요.
→ As soon as I introduced my friends to him, they became close.
비행기가 중국에서 착륙하자마자 꼭 연락해 줄게.
→ I will definitely contact you as soon as the plane lands in China.
Learn more
Summary table of structure
Learn more
Exercises
Learn more
Traveling to South Korea can be an unforgettable experience. But when you don’t speak Korean, everything gets more complicated: ordering in a restaurant or café becomes stressful, you can’t understand signs or directions, asking for help in case of trouble is nearly impossible, and most importantly, you miss out on the very essence of a successful trip to Korea: connecting with the locals.
Since English - Korean machine translators can’t always be trusted (the two languages work in completely different ways), it’s essential to prepare yourself in advance to fully enjoy your trip to South Korea!
Learn more