Korean Lessons ᚛ Level 4 - Intermediate Korean #1 (Lessons 91 to 120) ᚛ Lesson 102 - Before and after in Korean [전에] [-기 전에] / [후에] [-(으)ㄴ 후에]

Before and after in Korean [전에] [-기 전에] / [후에] [-(으)ㄴ 후에]

In this course: 전에 / 기 전에 / 후에 / ㄴ 후에 / 은 후에

Before + Noun in Korean with 전에

In Korean, to say that an action took place before something, we use the following structure:
[Noun] 전에

Note: 전 literally means "before" and 에 is the time particle in Korean seen in a previous chapter.

크리스마스 전에 만나자.
→ Let’s meet before Christmas.

6시 전에 숙제를 끝내.
→ Finish your homework before 6:00.

출근 전에 아침을 먹어요.
→ I eat breakfast before going to work.

운동 전에 꼭 준비 운동을 하세요.
→ Before exercising, make sure to warm up.

결혼 전에 너무 떨렸습니다.
→ I was so nervous before the wedding. (Lit: I was trembling so much before the wedding.)

Before + Verb (before doing / before something happens) with -기 전에

In Korean, to say that an action took place "before" another action, we use the following structure:
[Later action: … Stem]기 전에 [Earlier action]

Note: -기 is the nominalization suffix that we have already studied in the chapter on the nominalization of verbs.

한국에 오기 전에 프랑스에 살았어요.
→ Before coming to Korea, I lived in France.

노래하기 전에 물을 마셔.
→ Drink some water before singing.

요리하기 전에 손을 깨끗이 닦아.
→ Wash your hands thoroughly before cooking.

나가기 전에 마스크를 쓰세요.
→ Put on a mask before going out.

자기 전에 약을 드세요.
→ Take your medicine before going to sleep.

After + Noun with 후에

In Korean, to say that an action took place after something, we use the following structure:
[Noun] 후에

Note: 후 literally means "after" and 에 is the time particle in Korean.

난 휴가 후에 운동 시작할게.
→ After the holidays, I’ll start working out.

식사 후에 꼭 이를 닦으세요.
→ Make sure to brush your teeth after meals.

영화 후에 식당 가자.
→ Let’s go to a restaurant after the movie.

퇴근 후에 만나요.
→ Let’s meet after work.

After + Verb (after doing / after something happens) with -(으)ㄴ 후에

In Korean, to say that an action took place "after" another action, we use the following structure:
[Earlier action: … Past adjectival form -(으)ㄴ] 후에 [Later action]

Note: -(으)ㄴ is the suffix of the past adjectival form that we saw in the chapter on adjectives in Korean.

저는 일한 후에 보통 쉬어요.
→ I usually rest after working.

밥 먹은 후에 커피 마실래?
→ Do you want to have a coffee after eating?

컵을 사용한 후에 씻어.
→ Wash the cup after using it.

일어난 후에 스트레칭을 했어.
→ After getting up, I did some stretching.

그 이야기를 한 후에 후회했습니다.
→ After telling that story, I regretted it.

After - Other forms

Summary table of structure

Exercises

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

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