KOREAN LEVEL UP › Korean grammar › -(으)로서
Korean Grammar “-(으)로서”: Meaning and Usage (TOPIK 5)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 나라 | country | 나라로서 | nararoseo |
| 음식 | food | 음식으로서 | eumsigeuroseo |
| 선물 | gift | 선물로서 | seonmulloseo |
What changes
- Use 로 after a noun ending in a vowel or in ㄹ, and 으로 after any other consonant (나라로서, 음식으로서, 선물로서).
Explanation
저는 한 아이의 엄마로서 항상 책임감을 느껴요.
“-(으)로서” means “as ~” and indicates status, qualification or standing. Use “로서” after a noun ending in a vowel or ㄹ, and “으로서” after one with any other final consonant. The sentence means “As the mother of one child, I always feel a sense of responsibility.” Do not confuse it with “-(으)로써,” which means “by means of ~.”
Pronouncing the example sentence
Example sentence: 저는 한 아이의 엄마로서 항상 책임감을 느껴요.
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 |
| 한 | ㅎ+ㅏ+ㄴ | han |
| 아이의 | ||
| 아 | ㅇ+ㅏ | a |
| 이 | ㅇ+ㅣ | i |
| 의 | ㅇ+ㅢ | ui |
| 엄마로서 | ||
| 엄 | ㅇ+ㅓ+ㅁ | eom |
| 마 | ㅁ+ㅏ | ma |
| 로 | ㄹ+ㅗ | ro |
| 서 | ㅅ+ㅓ | seo |
| 항상 | ||
| 항 | ㅎ+ㅏ+ㅇ | hang |
| 상 | ㅅ+ㅏ+ㅇ | sang |
| 책임감을 | ||
| 책 | ㅊ+ㅐ+ㄱ | [채] chae |
| 임 | ㅇ+ㅣ+ㅁ | [김] gim |
| 감 | ㄱ+ㅏ+ㅁ | [가] ga |
| 을 | ㅇ+ㅡ+ㄹ | [믈] meul |
| 느껴요 | ||
| 느 | ㄴ+ㅡ | neu |
| 껴 | ㄲ+ㅕ | kkyeo |
| 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. 책임감 → [채김가]
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 아이 | noun | child | TOPIK level 1 |
| 항상 | adverb | always | TOPIK level 1 |
| 느끼다 | verb | to feel | TOPIK level 3 |
Practice
Test yourself before you move on. Tap an answer.
Question 1 Choose the word that fits the blank: 저는 한 아이의 엄마____ 항상 책임감을 느껴요.
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Answer: 저는 한 아이의 엄마로서 항상 책임감을 느껴요.
Question 2 Which is the correct form of 나라 + -(으)로서?
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Answer: 나라로서
Question 3 Which is the correct form of 음식 + -(으)로서?
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Answer: 음식으로서
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