KOREAN LEVEL UP › Korean grammar › -(으)ㄴ 채로
Korean Grammar “-(으)ㄴ 채로”: Meaning and Usage (TOPIK 3)
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 | 본 채로 | bon chaero |
| 읽다 | to read | 읽은 채로 | ilgeun chaero |
| 하다 | to do | 한 채로 | han chaero |
| 살다 | to live | 산 채로 | san chaero |
What changes
- After a stem ending in a vowel, ㄴ is added to the last syllable (보 → 본). After a stem ending in a consonant, 은 is added (읽 → 읽은). A stem ending in ㄹ drops the ㄹ and takes ㄴ (살 → 산), and 하 becomes 한.
Explanation
너무 피곤해서 불을 켠 채로 잠이 들었어요.
“-(으)ㄴ 채로” means “while remaining in the state of having done ~,” doing something else with that state unchanged. The sentence means “I was so tired that I fell asleep with the light on.” It attaches to the past modifier form of a verb and can be shortened to 채 (옷을 입은 채). It often carries a nuance that the state is unusual or not ideal, unlike “-(으)면서,” which simply means two simultaneous actions.
너무 피곤해서 불을 켠 채로 잠이 들었어요.
“-(으)ㄴ 채로” means “while remaining in the state of …”: the result of an action stays as it is while something else happens. The sentence means “I was so tired that I fell asleep with the light on.” It differs from “-는 대로” (as soon as / just as).
Pronouncing the example sentence
Example sentence: 너무 피곤해서 불을 켠 채로 잠이 들었어요.
Said aloud, it sounds like [너무 피곤해서 부를 켠 채로 자미 드러써요].
| Syllable | Letters (consonant + vowel + final) | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| 너무 | ||
| 너 | ㄴ+ㅓ | neo |
| 무 | ㅁ+ㅜ | mu |
| 피곤해서 | ||
| 피 | ㅍ+ㅣ | pi |
| 곤 | ㄱ+ㅗ+ㄴ | gon |
| 해 | ㅎ+ㅐ | hae |
| 서 | ㅅ+ㅓ | seo |
| 불을 | ||
| 불 | ㅂ+ㅜ+ㄹ | [부] bu |
| 을 | ㅇ+ㅡ+ㄹ | [를] reul |
| 켠 | ㅋ+ㅕ+ㄴ | kyeon |
| 채로 | ||
| 채 | ㅊ+ㅐ | chae |
| 로 | ㄹ+ㅗ | ro |
| 잠이 | ||
| 잠 | ㅈ+ㅏ+ㅁ | [자] ja |
| 이 | ㅇ+ㅣ | [미] mi |
| 들었어요 | ||
| 들 | ㄷ+ㅡ+ㄹ | [드] deu |
| 었 | ㅇ+ㅓ+ㅆ | [러] reo |
| 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. 불을 → [부를]
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 너무 | adverb | too, so | TOPIK level 1 |
| 피곤하다 | adjective | tired | TOPIK level 2 |
Practice
Test yourself before you move on. Tap an answer.
Question 1 Choose the word that fits the blank: 너무 피곤해서 불을 켠 ____ 잠이 들었어요.
Show the answer
Answer: 너무 피곤해서 불을 켠 채로 잠이 들었어요.
Question 2 Choose the word that fits the blank: 너무 피곤해서 불을 켠 ____ 잠이 들었어요.
Show the answer
Answer: 너무 피곤해서 불을 켠 채로 잠이 들었어요.
Question 3 Which is the correct form of 보다 + -(으)ㄴ 채로?
Show the answer
Answer: 본 채로
Question 4 Which is the correct form of 읽다 + -(으)ㄴ 채로?
Show the answer
Answer: 읽은 채로
More grammar at this level
Learn this phrase by playing: typing drills and quizzes help it stick.
Practice in the gameRead this page in: 日本語 简体中文 繁體中文 Tiếng Việt Bahasa Indonesia Oʻzbekcha Монгол Français Español (México) ไทย