LEARN + KOREAN / Note 48 TOPIK I
When (-ㄹ 때)
a
-(으)ㄹ 때 means “when” or “at the time of,” the same vowel-or-consonant split as -(으)ㄹ 거예요 and -(으)ㄹ 수 있다: vowel-ending stems take -ㄹ 때, consonant-ending stems take -을 때.
jeoneun botong chultoegeunhal ttae eumageul deureoyo.
I usually listen to music when commuting.
jeonyeogeul meogeul ttae hanguk deuramareul bwayo.
I watch Korean dramas while eating dinner.
hangugeseo sarasseul ttae hangugeoreul mani baewosseoyo.
I learned a lot of Korean when I lived in Korea.
In Real Life
Attach 을 때 to a past-tense stem instead of the plain one and the meaning shifts from “whenever this happens” to “back when this was the case.” 한국에서 살 때 describes a recurring or hypothetical scenario; 한국에서 살았을 때 points at a finished period, the actual stretch of time you lived there.
jokareul mannal ttae jeil haengbokhaeyo.
I'm happiest when I meet my niece or nephew.
jeoneun botong hoesae gal ttae jeongjangeul ibeoyo.
I usually wear a suit when going to the office.
In Real Life
제일 and 가장 (from 큰 가방) both mean “the most,” near-synonyms with a slight register difference: 제일 leans conversational, 가장 leans a touch more formal or written. Both are correct in casual speech; you’ll hear 제일 more often between friends.
Vocabulary
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
chultoegeun | commuting (to and from work) |
toegeun | leaving work |
joka | niece, nephew |
jeil | the most (conversational) |
botong | usually |
haengbokhada | to be happy |
seulpeuda | to be sad |
hwanada | to get angry |
ginjanghada | to be nervous |
sinnada | to be excited, thrilled |
uulhada | to feel down, depressed |
pyeonanhada | to feel comfortable, at ease |
oeropda | to feel lonely |
seounhada | to feel hurt, mildly disappointed |
dapdaphada | to feel frustrated, stuffy |
ppudeutada | to feel proud, fulfilled |
nollada | to be surprised |
bukkeureopda | to be embarrassed, shy |
ansimhada | to feel relieved |
jichida | to be exhausted |