KOREAN LEVEL UP › Korean grammar › -(으)ㄹ 때
Korean Grammar “-(으)ㄹ 때”: Meaning and Usage (TOPIK 1)
How to attach it
Attach the pattern to the verb stem, which is the dictionary form without 다. Compare how each verb below changes depending on its last sound.
| Dictionary form | Meaning | With this pattern | Romanization |
|---|---|---|---|
| 보다 | to see, to watch | 볼 때 | bol ttae |
| 읽다 | to read | 읽을 때 | ilgeul ttae |
| 하다 | to do | 할 때 | hal ttae |
| 살다 | to live | 살 때 | sal ttae |
What changes
- After a stem ending in a vowel, ㄹ is added to the last syllable (보 → 볼). After a stem ending in a consonant, 을 is added (읽 → 읽을). A stem ending in ㄹ keeps it (살 → 살), and 하 becomes 할.
Explanation
한국에 올 때 비행기를 탔어요.
“-(으)ㄹ 때” means “when/at the time of doing.” Attach “-ㄹ/을 때” to the verb stem, so “오다” becomes “올 때,” and the sentence means “I took a plane when I came to Korea.” “수” and “줄” also follow “-ㄹ,” but they mean “possibility” and “knowing how,” so they do not fit here.
어렸을 때 저는 서울에 살았어요.
“-(으)ㄹ 때” means “when ~”: add -ㄹ/을 to the stem and follow with 때; for a past time it becomes “-았/었을 때.” The sentence means “When I was little, I lived in Seoul.” Forms like “어렸을 전” or “어렸을 후” do not exist.
Pronouncing the example sentence
Example sentence: 한국에 올 때 비행기를 탔어요.
Said aloud, it sounds like [한구게 올 때 비행기를 타써요].
| Syllable | Letters (consonant + vowel + final) | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| 한국에 | ||
| 한 | ㅎ+ㅏ+ㄴ | han |
| 국 | ㄱ+ㅜ+ㄱ | [구] gu |
| 에 | ㅇ+ㅔ | [게] ge |
| 올 | ㅇ+ㅗ+ㄹ | ol |
| 때 | ㄸ+ㅐ | ttae |
| 비행기를 | ||
| 비 | ㅂ+ㅣ | bi |
| 행 | ㅎ+ㅐ+ㅇ | haeng |
| 기 | ㄱ+ㅣ | gi |
| 를 | ㄹ+ㅡ+ㄹ | reul |
| 탔어요 | ||
| 탔 | ㅌ+ㅏ+ㅆ | [타] ta |
| 어 | ㅇ+ㅓ | [써] sseo |
| 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. 국에 → [구게]
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 비행기 | noun | airplane | TOPIK level 1 |
| 살다 | verb | to live | TOPIK level 1 |
Practice
Test yourself before you move on. Tap an answer.
Question 1 Choose the word that fits the blank: 한국에 올 ____ 비행기를 탔어요.
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Answer: 한국에 올 때 비행기를 탔어요.
Question 2 Choose the word that fits the blank: 어렸을 ____ 저는 서울에 살았어요.
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Answer: 어렸을 때 저는 서울에 살았어요.
Question 3 Which is the correct form of 보다 + -(으)ㄹ 때?
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Answer: 볼 때
Question 4 Which is the correct form of 읽다 + -(으)ㄹ 때?
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Answer: 읽을 때
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