Learn Korean for Free | Beginner Korean Grammar #37
After class, after eating, after arriving home—V-(으)ㄴ 후에 makes the order of two events clear.
What Does V-(으)ㄴ 후에 Mean?
Use V-(으)ㄴ 후에 to mean “after doing.” The verb before 후에 describes the action completed first, and the main clause describes what happens next.
The Rule
After a consonant, add -은 후에: 먹다 → 먹은 후에. After a vowel, add -ㄴ 후에: 가다 → 간 후에. A final ㄹ changes to ㄴ: 만들다 → 만든 후에. 하다 becomes 한 후에.
Useful Korean Words
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 끝나다 | to finish |
| 먹다 | to eat |
| 도착하다 | to arrive |
| 씻다 | to wash |
| 운동하다 | to exercise |
| 숙제하다 | to do homework |
| 전화하다 | to call |
| 후에 | after |
Korean Grammar Examples
수업이 끝난 후에 친구를 만나요.
I meet a friend after class ends.
밥을 먹은 후에 커피를 마셔요.
I drink coffee after eating.
집에 도착한 후에 전화해 주세요.
Please call me after arriving home.
운동한 후에 샤워해요.
I shower after exercising.
숙제를 한 후에 영화를 봤어요.
I watched a movie after doing my homework.
A Short Dialogue
A: 수업이 끝난 후에 뭐 할 거예요? — What will you do after class ends?
B: 도서관에서 공부할 거예요. — I will study at the library.
A: 공부한 후에는요? — What about after studying?
B: 친구하고 저녁을 먹을 거예요. — I will have dinner with a friend.
A Common Mistake to Avoid
The -(으)ㄴ before 후에 is not the sentence’s main past tense. It changes the verb so it can describe the following noun 후. Put the later action in the main clause. Compare 밥을 먹은 후에 공부해요 (study after eating) with Lesson 38’s 밥을 먹기 전에 공부해요 (study before eating).
Quick Quiz 🎯
Put the actions in order with -(으)ㄴ 후에: ① 책을 읽다 / 자다 ② 운동하다 / 물을 마시다 ③ 한국에 오다 / 한글을 배우다 ④ 일을 끝내다 / 집에 가다.
Answers and Explanation
① 책을 읽은 후에 자요. ② 운동한 후에 물을 마셔요. ③ 한국에 온 후에 한글을 배워요. ④ 일을 끝낸 후에 집에 가요.
Try It in Your Own Life
Write two original sentences using V-(으)ㄴ 후에 about your experience, schedule, ability, plan, or Korean study. Read them aloud, change one detail, and say them again. Check both the grammar form and the spacing before comparing your work with the model sentences.
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