-자마자Korean connective · TOPIK 3

-jamaja

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

형태Forms

-자마자-자

Which one you use is decided by what comes in front of it — see the usage rule under each meaning below.

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.

쓰임Usage

Attaches after verbs or the honorific -으시-.

동사 또는 ‘-으시-’ 뒤에 붙여 쓴다.

예문Examples

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 as soon as he comes home, he always turns on the computer first.

승규는 할아버지가 쓰러지셨다는 소식을 듣자마자 병원으로 달려왔다.

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

대화In conversation

너 모자를 새로 샀구나. 잘 어울려.

You bought a new hat. It suits you well.

고마워. 가게에서 보자마자 마음에 들어서 바로 산 거야.

Thanks. As soon as I saw it in the store, I liked it, so I bought it right away.

관련 문법Related grammar

Other connectives you will meet alongside this one.

-거든 -geodeun 거들랑 A connective ending used to convey the meaning, "if something is true or turns out to be true." TOPIK 3 -느라고 -neurago -느라 A connective ending used when the action of the preceding statement is the purpose or cause of the following statement. TOPIK 3 -는다거나 -neundageona -ㄴ다거나 · -다거나 · -라거나 An expression used to explain something by listing some behaviors as examples. TOPIK 3 -는다고 -neundago -다고 · -라고 · -으라고 A connective ending used when implying the purpose or intention of a certain action, or the reason or cause of a certain situation. TOPIK 3 -다가 -daga -다 · 다가도 A connective ending used when an action or state, etc., is stopped and changed to another action or state. TOPIK 3 -도록 -dorok A connective ending used when the preceding statement is the purpose, result, method, amount, etc., of something mentioned in the following statement. TOPIK 3

자주 묻는 질문Common questions

What does -자마자 mean in Korean?

-자마자 is a connective introduced at 3급 (TOPIK 3). A connective ending used to indicate that the following event or situation occurs right after the preceding event or situation.

When do you use -자마자?

Attaches after verbs or the honorific -으시-. The other shape is -자 — same point, different environment.

What is the difference between -자마자 and -자?

None in meaning — they are two shapes of the same connective, and which one appears is decided by the sound in front of it, not by what you want to say.

What TOPIK level is -자마자?

3급 — TOPIK 3, lower intermediate. It is one of 67 grammar points at that level.

Definition, usage note, examples and dialogue from the 국립국어원 한국어기초사전, used under CC BY-SA 2.0 KR.