KOREAN LEVEL UP › Korean grammar › 에 따라(서)
Korean Grammar “에 따라(서)”: Meaning and Usage (TOPIK 3)
How to attach it
This particle does not change: it attaches to every noun in the same way, whatever the last sound is.
| Korean | Meaning | With the particle | Romanization |
|---|---|---|---|
| 나라 | country | 나라에 따라서 | narae ttaraseo |
| 음식 | food | 음식에 따라서 | eumsige ttaraseo |
| 선물 | gift | 선물에 따라서 | seonmure ttaraseo |
Explanation
계절에 따라 입는 옷이 달라요.
“에 따라(서)” means “depending on / according to ~” and shows that the second part changes with the first. The sentence means “The clothes people wear differ depending on the season.” Expressions such as 다르다, 달라지다, and 바뀌다 often follow. Do not confuse it with 에 대해 (about) or 에 비해 (compared with).
Pronouncing the example sentence
Example sentence: 계절에 따라 입는 옷이 달라요.
In natural speech, sounds link and shift across words. The table below reads each word separately, as it sounds when said on its own.
| Syllable | Letters (consonant + vowel + final) | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| 계절에 | ||
| 계 | ㄱ+ㅖ | gye |
| 절 | ㅈ+ㅓ+ㄹ | [저] jeo |
| 에 | ㅇ+ㅔ | [레] re |
| 따라 | ||
| 따 | ㄸ+ㅏ | tta |
| 라 | ㄹ+ㅏ | ra |
| 입는 | ||
| 입 | ㅇ+ㅣ+ㅂ | [임] im |
| 는 | ㄴ+ㅡ+ㄴ | neun |
| 옷이 | ||
| 옷 | ㅇ+ㅗ+ㅅ | [오] o |
| 이 | ㅇ+ㅣ | [시] si |
| 달라요 | ||
| 달 | ㄷ+ㅏ+ㄹ | dal |
| 라 | ㄹ+ㅏ | la |
| 요 | ㅇ+ㅛ | yo |
A ㅇ at the start of a syllable is silent; at the end of a syllable it sounds like “ng”.
Sound changes in this phrase
- Linking: when a syllable ending in a consonant (patchim) is followed by a syllable that starts with a vowel, the consonant moves over to the next syllable. 절에 → [저레]
- Nasalization: a final ㄱ, ㄷ or ㅂ becomes ㅇ, ㄴ or ㅁ before ㄴ or ㅁ (and a ㄹ after ㅁ or ㅇ becomes ㄴ). 입는 → [임는]
Politeness level of the example
Ends in -요. The everyday polite style, and a safe choice with shop staff, colleagues, strangers and anyone older than you.
Words in the example sentence
These words from the TOPIK vocabulary lists appear in the phrase (shown in dictionary form).
| Korean | Part of speech | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 계절 | noun | season | TOPIK level 3 |
| 입다 | verb | to wear (clothes) | TOPIK level 1 |
| 옷 | noun | clothes | TOPIK level 1 |
Practice
Test yourself before you move on. Tap an answer.
Question 1 Choose the word that fits the blank: 계절____ 입는 옷이 달라요.
Show the answer
Answer: 계절에 따라 입는 옷이 달라요.
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