-ë€ê°, -ì/ìŽë€ê°, -ì/ìë€ê°, -ë€ê°ë, -ìë€ê°
This has been a much-requested grammar form! -ë€ê° is a really useful grammar point that is used often in speech, so it would be really helpful to learn how to use it well.
I will cover four different âformsâ of -ë€ê°, each of which has its own meaning(s). The four forms Iâll cover will be -ë€ê°, ì/ìŽë€ê°, -ì/ìë€ê° (-ë€ê° attached to a verb conjugated to past tense), and -ë€ê°ë. Also, while itâs not the same as the verb endings that use -ë€ê°, Iâll explain the particle -ìë€ê° as well.
The -ë€ê° grammar form is used to indicate interruption of an action. In English, we could translate this form roughly as âWhile doing XâŠâ
-ë€ê° is very simple to use! Just attach it to an action verb root in present tense! You can optionally remove the âê°â at the end and just use it as -ë€ as well. Just make sure that the subject of the preceding and following clauses stays the same Letâs check it out:
Interruption of an action:
ìëŠŹë„Œ íë€ê° ì ì넌 ëšìŽížë žìŽì. (While cooking, I dropped a plate.)
ìí넌 볎ë€ê° ì ë€ììŽ. (While watching a movie, I fell asleep.)
íë ìšë ìì 넌 íë€ê° ìčê”Źë€êłŒ ì íë íìŽì. (While doing his homework, Hwarang  talked with his friends on the phone.)
ìí ìšë ì€ëë§ì ëȘ» ëłž ìčê”Źë í”ííë€ê° ìžììŽì. (While on the phone with a friend she hadnât been able to see in a long time, Suha cried.)
NOTE: This section originally listed a second meaning for -ë€ê°, that being the introduction of the simultaneous occurrence of two actions. After looking into it a bit more, a true feeling of simultaneous occurrence can not be achieved by using -ë€ê° and -(ìŒ)멎ì must be used, otherwise the sense of interruption persists. You can read a little more by clicking this paragraph. I apologize for any confusion caused.
-ì/ìŽë€ê° is a grammar form indicating sequential actions. The action in the preceding clause is done first, and then the action in the following clause occurs in a different location. The two actions must be related to each other, so that the action in the following clause happens dependent upon the completion of the action in the preceding clause. You can think of it as meaning âFirst⊠and thenâŠâ in English, though of course you might have to change that a bit for a more natural translation depending on the circumstances.
To use this form, simply attach -ì/ìŽë€ê° to the root of an action verb in the present tense. Remember to change the root as needed depending on whether or not itâs irregular! You can optionally remove the âê°â at the end and just use it as -ì/ìŽë€ as well.
ì ê°ë°© ìą ê°ì žë€ ìŁŒìžì. (Please get my bag and give it to me.)
ìëŠ ìšë êčë°„ì ë§ë€ìŽë€ê° ìčê”ŹìêČ ì€ŹìŽì. (Areum made kimbap and gave it to her friends.Â
ìžëë ì ëŹŒì ìŹë€ê° ìŽëšžëê» ëłŽëìŽì. (My older sister bought a gift and sent it to mom.)
Using -ë€ê° on an action verb conjugated to the past tense indicates completion of an action, after which another action action occurs. This is in contrast to -ë€ê° with a present tense action verb, which indicates interruption of an action or simultaneous occurrence of two actions, as seen above. The verbs used in the preceding and following clauses are often contrasting or opposite, though this is not always the case.
Just conjugate the action verb that you want to use to past tense and add -ë€ê°! You can optionally remove the âê°â at the end and just use this grammar as -ì/ìë€. Also, the subject of both the preceding and following clauses must stay the same.
ê°ë€ ìŹêČì! (Iâll go and come back! [More naturally, âIâll be back!â])
ížìì ì ë€ë ë€ê° ì§ì ê°ìŽì. (I stopped by the convenience store and then went home.)
NOTE: This form can also be used to express that something unexpected happened after doing the action in the preceding clause.
ì§ì ê°ë€ê° 돞 ìì ìŹ ìíŹê° ìììŽì. (I went home and there was an unexpected package in front of the door.)
Ʞ찚넌 íë€ê° 6ë
ë§ì ëȘ» ëłž ìčê”Źë„Œ ë§ëŹìì. (I got on the train and met a friend I hadnât seen in six years.)
This grammar point is used to give warnings, indicating that if the action or condition of the preceding clause continues, then the negative result in the following clause will occur. It can be translated as âIf⊠thenâŠâ. Just keep in mind that it must be used with negative consequences only!
Something important to note with this form is that, while it might seem similar to -(ìŒ)멎, the two are not totally interchangeable! -ë€ê°ë refers to an action that is already known to be in progress, regardless of context, while an identical sentence that changes only -ë€ê°ë to -(ìŒ)멎 refers to a condition in the preceding clause that may or may not be in progress (unless prior context makes it clear that the action is in progress, in which case the two sentences are identical).
Unlike the other -ë€ê°s that we have looked at so far, this one can be used with action and descriptive verbs both! Just attach -ë€ê°ë to the root of the verb in either present or past tense. Using a verb conjugated to the past tense changes the preceding clause from a situation that is currently in progress to speculating about a present or future event.
ëŽë°°ë„Œ êłì íŒì°ë€ê°ë íìì 걞늎ì§ë ëȘ°ëŒì. (If you keep smoking, you might get lung cancer [LIT-I donât know whether or not youâll get lung cancer].)
ìŽë êČ êł”ë¶ë„Œ 믞룚ë€ê°ë êž°ë§ ìíì ëšìŽì§ ìë ììŽì. (If you put off studying like this you could even fail the final exam.)
Descriptive verbs: -ë€ê°ë
믞ìžëšŒì§ê° ìŽë êČ ìŹíë€ê°ë ížíĄêž° ì§í íìë€ìŽ ë§ìì§ ê±°ìì. (If the pollution stays severe like this, the number of respiratory illness patients will increase.)
ë ìšê° ìŽë êČ ë„ë€ê°ë íčí ë
žìžë€ìŽ ìŽìŹëłì ë§ìŽ ê±žëŠŽ êČ ê°ìì. (If the weather stays hot like this, it seems that especially many elderly people could get heat stroke.)
PASTâ I actually struggled over this section quite a bit! I had to ask some native speaker friends to help me work through it. In general, the consensus we reached is that the examples that I wrote here are correct, but it is far more common to just use -(ìŒ)멎 for the same meaning.
Action verbs: -ì/ìë€ê°ë
ìŽì ìČëŒ êČœêž°íë€ê°ë ì§ ê±°ìì. (If we play like we did yesterday, then we will lose.)
ììì ë돎 ë§ìŽ ëščìë€ê°ë ë°°íìŽ ë ê±°ìì. (If you eat too much food, youâll get a stomachache.)
Descriptive verbs: -ì/ìë€ê°ë
ì§ì ì”êž°ê° êłì ìŽë êČ ëìë€ê°ë êł°íĄìŽê° ìœêČ ìêžž ê±°ìì. (If the humidity in your house is constantly high, mold will form easily.)
ì¶ì°ìšìŽ êłì ëźìë€ê°ë ìžê”Źê° ê°ìí ê±°ìì. (If the birthrate stays low, the population will decrease.)
The particle -ìë€ê° has two main functions. One of those functions is to indicate the specific location of something, and the other is to add more information in addition to something else. You can drop the final âê°â and just use this particle as -ìë€.
When used to indicate the specific location of something, -ìë€ê° is attached to an adverb. When used to provide additional information, it attaches to nouns.
ìą
ìŽ ë°ìë€ê° ìŹìžíŽ ìŁŒìžì. (Please sign the bottom of the paper.)
ê°ë°©ì ì±
ì ììë€ê° ëììŽì. (I put my bag on top of the table.)
ìŽëìë€ ëêčì? (Where should I put it?)
êčë°„ì ë§ë€ììŽì. êČë€ê°(ê·žìë€ê°) ìëŁìë ì€ëčíŽ ëšìŽì. (I made kimbap. In addition to that, I also prepared drinks.)Â
ìì€ ìšë ìë°íë ë°ë€ê° ëŽìŹ íëë íŽì. (In addition to working a part-time job, Soyun also does volunteer activities.) NOTE: ë°ë€ê° = ë° + ìë€ê°. For more info on -ë ë°, click here!
ìŽëČ ìŁŒ ê°ì€ìêžìë€ê° ì êž°ìêžë ëŽìŒ ëŒì. (This week I must pay my electricity bill in addition to my gas bill.)
And thatâs about it for -ë€ê°! Thereâs a lot of information in this post, so take your time reading through it and feel free to ask if you find anything confusing. Happy studying, everyone~