Subordinating clauses create complex sentences where one clause depends on another. The subordinate clause provides additional information about time, condition, reason, or purpose for the main clause.
Time Clauses
-(으)ㄹ 때 - When
Structure:
- Vowel/ㄹ ending + -ㄹ 때
- Consonant ending + -을 때
Meaning: When / At the time when
Use when:
- Describing when something happens
- Habitual actions
- Specific time reference
Formation:
- 가다 → 갈 때 (when going)
- 먹다 → 먹을 때 (when eating)
- 공부하다 → 공부할 때 (when studying)
Examples:
- 학교에 갈 때 친구를 만났어요 (When going to school, met a friend)
- 밥을 먹을 때 TV를 봐요 (When eating, watch TV)
- 어렸을 때 한국에 살았어요 (When I was young, lived in Korea)
Past tense: -았/었을 때
- 어렸을 때 (when I was young)
- 학생이었을 때 (when I was a student)
-기 전에 - Before
Structure: Verb stem + -기 전에
Meaning: Before doing
Use when:
- Action happens before main clause
- Preparation or precedence
- Time sequence
Formation:
- 가다 → 가기 전에 (before going)
- 먹다 → 먹기 전에 (before eating)
- 자다 → 자기 전에 (before sleeping)
Examples:
- 자기 전에 이를 닦아요 (Brush teeth before sleeping)
- 밥 먹기 전에 손을 씻어요 (Wash hands before eating)
- 학교에 가기 전에 숙제를 했어요 (Did homework before going to school)
-(으)ㄴ 후에 / -고 나서 - After
Structure:
- Vowel/ㄹ ending + -ㄴ 후에
- Consonant ending + -은 후에
- Any verb + -고 나서
Meaning: After doing
Use when:
- Action completed before next
- Sequential actions
- Time progression
Formation:
- 가다 → 간 후에 / 가고 나서 (after going)
- 먹다 → 먹은 후에 / 먹고 나서 (after eating)
- 끝나다 → 끝난 후에 / 끝나고 나서 (after finishing)
Examples:
- 밥을 먹은 후에 산책했어요 (After eating, took a walk)
- 숙제를 하고 나서 놀았어요 (After doing homework, played)
- 회의가 끝난 후에 연락할게요 (I'll contact you after the meeting ends)
-자마자 - As soon as
Structure: Verb stem + -자마자
Meaning: As soon as / The moment
Use when:
- Immediate sequence
- No gap between actions
- Emphasizing quickness
Formation:
- 보다 → 보자마자 (as soon as seeing)
- 듣다 → 듣자마자 (as soon as hearing)
- 도착하다 → 도착하자마자 (as soon as arriving)
Examples:
- 집에 도착하자마자 잤어요 (As soon as I got home, I slept)
- 소식을 듣자마자 전화했어요 (Called as soon as I heard the news)
- 영화를 보자마자 울었어요 (Cried as soon as I saw the movie)
-는 동안 - While / During
Structure:
- Verb: -는 동안
- Adjective/Past: -(으)ㄴ 동안
- Noun: 동안
Meaning: While / During / For the duration of
Use when:
- Two actions happen in same timeframe
- Duration emphasis
- Background action
Formation:
- 먹다 → 먹는 동안 (while eating)
- 자다 → 자는 동안 (while sleeping)
- 여름 → 여름 동안 (during summer)
Examples:
- 내가 자는 동안 비가 왔어요 (While I slept, it rained)
- 방학 동안 여행했어요 (Traveled during vacation)
- 공부하는 동안 전화하지 마세요 (Don't call while I'm studying)
Conditional Clauses
-(으)면 - If / When
Structure:
- Vowel/ㄹ ending + -면
- Consonant ending + -으면
Meaning: If / When
Use when:
- Conditional situations
- Habitual conditions
- Hypotheticals
- Polite requests
Formation:
- 가다 → 가면 (if/when go)
- 먹다 → 먹으면 (if/when eat)
- 춥다 → 추우면 (if cold)
Examples:
- 비가 오면 우산을 가져가요 (If it rains, take an umbrella)
- 시간이 있으면 놀러 오세요 (If you have time, come visit)
- 피곤하면 쉬세요 (If you're tired, rest)
Past tense: -았/었으면
- 돈이 많았으면 좋겠어요 (I wish I had a lot of money)
- 일찍 왔으면 만날 수 있었어요 (If you had come early, we could have met)
-아/어도 - Even if / Even though
Structure:
- ㅏ, ㅗ vowel + -아도
- Other vowels + -어도
- 하다 → 해도
Meaning: Even if / Even though / Although
Use when:
- Despite conditions
- Concession
- Doesn't matter
Formation:
- 가다 → 가도 (even if go)
- 먹다 → 먹어도 (even if eat)
- 비싸다 → 비싸도 (even if expensive)
Examples:
- 비가 와도 갈 거예요 (Even if it rains, I'll go)
- 바빠도 연락하세요 (Even if you're busy, contact me)
- 돈이 없어도 괜찮아요 (Even if there's no money, it's okay)
-(으)려면 - If you want to / In order to
Structure:
- Vowel/ㄹ ending + -려면
- Consonant ending + -으려면
Meaning: If you want to / If you intend to
Use when:
- Expressing conditions for intentions
- Advice or requirements
- Necessary conditions
Formation:
- 가다 → 가려면 (if you want to go)
- 먹다 → 먹으려면 (if you want to eat)
- 성공하다 → 성공하려면 (if you want to succeed)
Examples:
- 한국어를 잘하려면 매일 연습해야 해요 (If you want to be good at Korean, you must practice daily)
- 살을 빼려면 운동하세요 (If you want to lose weight, exercise)
- 성공하려면 열심히 일해야 해요 (If you want to succeed, you must work hard)
Reason Clauses
-기 때문에 - Because
Structure: Verb/Adjective stem + -기 때문에
Meaning: Because / Due to
Use when:
- Formal explanation
- Objective reason
- Written language
Formation:
- 가다 → 가기 때문에 (because go)
- 바쁘다 → 바쁘기 때문에 (because busy)
- 학생이다 → 학생이기 때문에 (because student)
Examples:
- 바쁘기 때문에 못 가요 (Because I'm busy, I can't go)
- 비가 오기 때문에 집에 있었어요 (Because it was raining, I stayed home)
- 학생이기 때문에 할인을 받았어요 (Because I'm a student, I got a discount)
-(으)므로 - Since / Therefore (Formal)
Structure:
- Vowel/ㄹ ending + -므로
- Consonant ending + -으므로
Meaning: Since / Therefore / Because (very formal)
Use when:
- Very formal writing
- Academic papers
- Official documents
- Legal language
Formation:
- 가다 → 가므로 (since go)
- 먹다 → 먹으므로 (since eat)
- 중요하다 → 중요하므로 (since important)
Examples:
- 시간이 없으므로 서둘러야 합니다 (Since there's no time, we must hurry)
- 중요하므로 주의하십시오 (Since it's important, please be careful)
- 법을 위반하였으므로 처벌받습니다 (Since the law was violated, punishment follows)
Purpose Clauses
-(으)러 - In order to / To
Structure:
- Vowel/ㄹ ending + -러
- Consonant ending + -으러
Meaning: In order to / To (with movement verbs)
Use when:
- Purpose of movement
- Going somewhere to do something
- Always with verbs like 가다, 오다
Formation:
- 먹다 → 먹으러 (to eat)
- 보다 → 보러 (to see)
- 만나다 → 만나러 (to meet)
Examples:
- 영화 보러 갔어요 (Went to watch a movie)
- 친구 만나러 왔어요 (Came to meet a friend)
- 밥 먹으러 가요 (Going to eat)
Restriction: Only with motion verbs (가다, 오다, 다니다, etc.)
-기 위해(서) - In order to
Structure: Verb stem + -기 위해(서)
Meaning: In order to / For the purpose of
Use when:
- Purpose or goal
- More formal than -(으)러
- Any verb (not just motion)
Formation:
- 공부하다 → 공부하기 위해 (in order to study)
- 성공하다 → 성공하기 위해 (in order to succeed)
- 배우다 → 배우기 위해 (in order to learn)
Examples:
- 시험에 합격하기 위해 열심히 공부했어요 (Studied hard in order to pass the exam)
- 건강하기 위해 운동해요 (Exercise in order to be healthy)
- 돈을 벌기 위해 일해요 (Work in order to earn money)
-(으)려고 - Intending to / Planning to
Structure:
- Vowel/ㄹ ending + -려고
- Consonant ending + -으려고
Meaning: Intending to / Planning to / In order to
Use when:
- Personal intention
- Purpose (less formal than -기 위해)
- Plans
Formation:
- 가다 → 가려고 (intending to go)
- 먹다 → 먹으려고 (intending to eat)
- 사다 → 사려고 (intending to buy)
Examples:
- 한국어를 배우려고 한국에 왔어요 (Came to Korea to learn Korean)
- 친구를 만나려고 서울에 갔어요 (Went to Seoul to meet a friend)
- 운동하려고 체육관에 등록했어요 (Registered at the gym to exercise)
Result Clauses
-도록 - So that / To the extent that
Structure: Verb/Adjective stem + -도록
Meaning: So that / To the extent that / Until
Use when:
- Desired result
- Goal or purpose
- Extent or degree
Formation:
- 보다 → 보도록 (so that can see)
- 알다 → 알도록 (so that know)
- 크다 → 크도록 (so that it's big)
Examples:
- 모두가 볼 수 있도록 크게 썼어요 (Wrote big so that everyone can see)
- 잊지 않도록 메모했어요 (Made a note so that I won't forget)
- 늦지 않도록 서두르세요 (Hurry so that you won't be late)
-게 - So that / In such a way
Structure: Verb/Adjective stem + -게
Meaning: So that / In order to make
Use when:
- Making something a certain way
- Purpose (making state/action happen)
- Result or manner
Formation:
- 크다 → 크게 (so that it's big / big)
- 작다 → 작게 (so that it's small / small)
- 보다 → 보게 (so that can see)
Examples:
- 목소리를 크게 했어요 (Made voice loud / Spoke loudly)
- 모두가 들을 수 있게 말했어요 (Spoke so that everyone could hear)
- 예쁘게 포장해 주세요 (Please wrap it prettily / so that it's pretty)
Manner Clauses
-듯이 - As if / Like
Structure: Verb stem + -듯이
Meaning: As if / Like / As though
Use when:
- Comparison
- Simile
- Describing manner
Formation:
- 보다 → 보듯이 (as if seeing)
- 알다 → 알듯이 (as if knowing)
- 날다 → 날듯이 (as if flying)
Examples:
- 아는 듯이 말했어요 (Spoke as if he knew)
- 날듯이 빨리 갔어요 (Went as fast as if flying)
- 모르는 듯이 행동했어요 (Acted as if he didn't know)
-ㄴ/은/는 척하다 - Pretend to
Structure:
- Verb present: -는 척하다
- Verb past: -(으)ㄴ 척하다
- Adjective: -(으)ㄴ 척하다
Meaning: Pretend to / Act as if
Use when:
- Pretending or faking
- False appearance
- Acting
Examples:
- 자는 척했어요 (Pretended to sleep)
- 모르는 척해요 (Pretending not to know)
- 바쁜 척하지 마세요 (Don't pretend to be busy)
Common Mistakes
❌ Incorrect: 학교에 먹으러 가요
먹다 doesn't make sense with school
✅ Correct: 식당에 먹으러 가요
Context should match the purpose
❌ Incorrect: 공부하기 전에 잤어요
Illogical: slept before studying
✅ Correct: 자기 전에 공부했어요
More logical sequence
❌ Incorrect: 비가 오기 때문에 가세요
Reason doesn't match action
✅ Correct: 비가 오기 때문에 집에 있으세요
Logical connection
Summary Table
| Pattern | Meaning | Type | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| -(으)ㄹ 때 | When | Time | 갈 때 (when going) |
| -기 전에 | Before | Time | 가기 전에 (before going) |
| -(으)ㄴ 후에 | After | Time | 간 후에 (after going) |
| -자마자 | As soon as | Time | 가자마자 (as soon as going) |
| -는 동안 | While/During | Time | 가는 동안 (while going) |
| -(으)면 | If/When | Condition | 가면 (if/when go) |
| -아/어도 | Even if | Condition | 가도 (even if go) |
| -(으)려면 | If want to | Condition | 가려면 (if want to go) |
| -기 때문에 | Because | Reason | 가기 때문에 (because go) |
| -(으)므로 | Since (formal) | Reason | 가므로 (since go) |
| -(으)러 | To (motion) | Purpose | 먹으러 (to eat) |
| -기 위해 | In order to | Purpose | 가기 위해 (to go) |
| -(으)려고 | Intending to | Purpose | 가려고 (intending to go) |
| -도록 | So that | Result | 알도록 (so that know) |
| -게 | So that/manner | Result | 크게 (big/so it's big) |
| -듯이 | As if | Manner | 보듯이 (as if seeing) |