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Lv 3Connective endingIntermediate · TOPIK II

-자마자

-jamaja

as soon as

Attaches to a verb stem to show that the following event happens immediately after the preceding one. It cannot take a tense marker before it and is common when narrating a quick sequence of actions.

Form

Attaches to
Verb
Other shapes
-자

Meanings

  1. 1

    A connective ending used to indicate that the following event or situation occurs right after the preceding event or situation.

    앞말이 나타내는 사건이나 상황이 일어나고 곧바로 뒤의 말이 나타내는 사건이나 상황이 일어남을 나타내는 연결 어미.

    ※ 동사 또는 ‘-으시-’ 뒤에 붙여 쓴다.

Examples

  • 나는 너무 피곤해서 침대에 눕자마자 잠이 들었다.

    I was so tired that I fell asleep as soon as I lay down on the bed.

  • 민준이는 게임을 좋아해서 집에 오자마자 항상 컴퓨터부터 켠다.

    Minjun loves games, so he always turns on the computer as soon as he gets home.

  • 승규는 할아버지가 쓰러지셨다는 소식을 듣자마자 병원으로 달려왔다.

    As soon as Seunggyu heard the news that his grandfather had collapsed, he rushed to the hospital.

  • 너 모자를 새로 샀구나. 잘 어울려. 고마워. 가게에서 보자마자 마음에 들어서 바로 산 거야.

    You bought a new hat. It suits you well. Thanks. I liked it the moment I saw it in the store, so I bought it right away.

  • 너 모자를 새로 샀구나. 잘 어울려.

    You bought a new hat. It suits you well.

  • 고마워. 가게에서 보자마자 마음에 들어서 바로 산 거야.

    Thanks. I liked it the moment I saw it in the store, so I bought it right away.

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 ‘-자마자’ mean?

  2. 2. Which form means “as soon as”?