KOREAN LEVEL UP › Korean grammar › -(으)로 (수단)
Korean Grammar “-(으)로 (수단)”: Meaning and Usage (TOPIK 1)
How to attach it
A particle attaches directly to the noun, and its form depends on the noun’s last sound. Compare the nouns below.
| Korean | Meaning | With the particle | Romanization |
|---|---|---|---|
| 택시 | taxi | 택시로 | taeksiro |
| 지하철 | subway | 지하철로 | jihacheollo |
| 휴대폰 | cell phone | 휴대폰으로 | hyudaeponeuro |
What changes
- Use 로 after a noun ending in a vowel or in ㄹ, and 으로 after any other consonant (택시로, 지하철로, 휴대폰으로).
Explanation
저는 매일 지하철로 회사에 가요.
“-(으)로” marks a means or tool, like “by/with.” Use “로” after a vowel or the consonant ㄹ, and “으로” after any other consonant. “지하철” ends in ㄹ, so “지하철로” is correct and “지하철으로” is a typical error. The sentence means “I go to work by subway every day.”
저는 지하철로 학교에 가요.
The particle “-(으)로” marks means or tools such as transportation, “by / with ~.” Use 로 after a vowel or ㄹ, and 으로 after any other consonant. The sentence means “I go to school by subway.” Since 지하철 ends in ㄹ, it takes “로,” not “으로.”
Pronouncing the example sentence
Example sentence: 저는 매일 지하철로 회사에 가요.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 저는 | ||
| 저 | ㅈ+ㅓ | jeo |
| 는 | ㄴ+ㅡ+ㄴ | neun |
| 매일 | ||
| 매 | ㅁ+ㅐ | mae |
| 일 | ㅇ+ㅣ+ㄹ | il |
| 지하철로 | ||
| 지 | ㅈ+ㅣ | ji |
| 하 | ㅎ+ㅏ | ha |
| 철 | ㅊ+ㅓ+ㄹ | cheol |
| 로 | ㄹ+ㅗ | lo |
| 회사에 | ||
| 회 | ㅎ+ㅚ | hoe |
| 사 | ㅅ+ㅏ | sa |
| 에 | ㅇ+ㅔ | e |
| 가요 | ||
| 가 | ㄱ+ㅏ | ga |
| 요 | ㅇ+ㅛ | yo |
A ㅇ at the start of a syllable is silent; at the end of a syllable it sounds like “ng”.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 지하철 | noun | subway | TOPIK level 1 |
Practice
Test yourself before you move on. Tap an answer.
Question 1 Choose the word that fits the blank: 저는 매일 지하철____ 회사에 가요.
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Answer: 저는 매일 지하철로 회사에 가요.
Question 2 Choose the word that fits the blank: 저는 지하철____ 학교에 가요.
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Answer: 저는 지하철로 학교에 가요.
Question 3 Which is the correct form of 택시 + -(으)로 (수단)?
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Answer: 택시로
Question 4 Which is the correct form of 휴대폰 + -(으)로 (수단)?
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Answer: 휴대폰으로
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