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Lv 3Connective endingIntermediate · TOPIK II

-었더니

-eotdeoni

and then (as a result)

Attaches to a verb stem, almost always with a first-person past-tense subject, to show that after doing something, a new fact or situation was discovered—'I did X, and then (found that)...'—or that the past action is the reason for what follows.

Form

Attaches to
Verb, Adjective, Auxiliary
Other shapes
-았더니 · -였더니

Meanings

  1. 1

    An expression used to indicate that there is a new incident or situation, different from a past one.

    과거의 사실이나 상황과 다른 새로운 사실이나 상황이 있음을 나타내는 표현.

  2. 2

    An expression used to indicate that a past incident or situation becomes the cause or reason for the following statement.

    과거의 사실이나 상황이 뒤에 오는 말의 원인이나 이유가 됨을 나타내는 표현.

Examples

  • 길을 따라 계속 걸었더니 작은 절이 나타났다.

    I kept walking along the road, and then a small temple appeared.

  • 초인종 소리에 문을 열었더니 우체부 아저씨였다.

    I opened the door at the sound of the doorbell, and it was the mailman.

  • 간식으로 야채 주스를 줬더니 아들이 먹기 싫다고 한다.

    I gave my son vegetable juice as a snack, and he says he doesn't want to drink it.

  • 왜 창문을 열다 말아? 날씨가 더워 열었더니 밖에서 냄새가 나네.

    Why did you stop opening the window halfway? I opened it because it was hot, but there's a smell coming from outside.

  • 술을 많이 마셨더니 어지럽다.

    I drank a lot of alcohol, so now I feel dizzy.

  • 저녁을 많이 먹었더니 배가 아프다.

    I ate a lot for dinner, so now my stomach hurts.

Examples: 한국어기초사전, CC BY-SA 2.0 KR.

Don’t confuse with

Forms with a close meaning — a favourite source of wrong answers on TOPIK.

Quick check

  1. 1. What does ‘-었더니’ mean?

  2. 2. Which form means “and then (as a result)”?